Latest news with #DataProtectionCommission
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
TikTok seeks stay on suspension of data transfer to China decision
TikTok is to ask the High Court to halt a suspension of data transfers to China within six months under a decision made in early May by the Data Protection Commission (DPC). On May 2nd, the DPC announced it had made a final decision in its inquiry into the lawfulness of transfers by TikTok Technology Ltd' of personal data of users of the TikTok platform to the People's Republic of China from countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) which includes all the EU along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. DPC commissioners Dr Des Hogan and Dale Sunderland found that TikTok infringed the GDPR regarding its transfers and regarding its transparency requirements. The DPC imposed fines totalling €530 million and ordered TikTok to bring its processing into compliance within six months, including suspending the transfers to China if this was not done within that time frame. READ MORE On Thursday, Emily Egan McGrath SC, for TikTok, told Mr Justice Mark Sanfey her client was seeking that the case be admitted to the fast track Commercial Court as it was an urgent matter. She said the damage the decision will cause to her client 'was very significant' and they were looking for an order putting a stay on the suspension of data transfer decision. Kelley Smith SC, for the DPC, said there was a significant volume of papers in the case and her side had not had a chance to look at the documents. However, she did not imagine there would be any objection to the application to enter the case into the commercial list. Mr Justice Sanfey said he thought there might not be opposition to the admission to the commercial list but it may be that the DPC will take a different tack. He said there were difficulties in relation to fixing a hearing over the stay on the suspension decision in terms of judges being tied up in other cases in the coming weeks but he would hear the application to admit the case to the Commercial Court next week.
RTÉ News
29-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Data protection watchdog moves to new Dublin headquarters
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has moved to new headquarters in Dublin. The building project was commenced by the Office of Public Works in May 2023, and has brought together all of the DPC's Dublin-based staff into one office. The DPC said its new headquarters provides staff with a greatly improved, modern and collaborative work environment that will support the work it does both in Ireland and across the EU. Since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018, the DPC has imposed fines of more than €4 billion on big tech firms. Just €20 million of that has been paid, as most of the rulings are under appeal. In May 2023, the DPC imposed a record fine of €1.2bn on Meta for breaches relating to the transfer of personal data from the EU to the US. Earlier this month, the DPC fined video-sharing platform TikTok €530 million over the transfer of the personal data of European users to China. The DPC's new headquarters was officially opened today at an event attended by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan. "As the DPC continues to play a leading role in European data protection, this new home will help us meet that responsibility with confidence and ambition," said Data Protection Commissioner Dr Des Hogan. His fellow Commissioner Dale Sunderland added that the new building is a reflection of how far the DPC has grown and developed as an organisation. "A decade ago, we were fewer than 50 people. Now, we're 275 strong and continuing to grow," Mr Sunderland said.
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Meta AI introduces 'significant measures' to improve data protection
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has said that Meta has introduced a number of significant measures and improvements to protect people's data used for the training of its artificial intelligence (AI) models. In March, Meta announced the European roll out of AI features on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, in the form of an AI chatbot assistant that responds to queries from users. At the time, the DPC said it has been examining Meta AI over recent months and that it would keep it under review as it rolls out to users over the coming weeks. Last year, Meta said it was withholding the roll out of certain AI models in the EU and that it was pausing plans to use personal data to train AI models after concerns were raised by the DPC over the use of public social media posts. The data watchdog has said Meta plans to begin the training of its generative AI models on 27 May. Among the data protection improvements implemented by Meta are updated transparency notices to users, as well as updated and easier to use objection forms for people who do not want their public data used. The company is also providing longer notice periods to users and information on controls available to change all published posts from public to private to avoid being trained for the models. "As part of our ongoing monitoring, the DPC has required Meta to compile a report which, amongst other things, will set out an updated evaluation of the efficacy and appropriateness of the measures and safeguards it has introduced regarding the processing taking place," the DPC said. "This report is expected in October 2025," it added. The DPC said it continues to actively monitor the roll-out of the objection forms, and information to users, to ensure that all concerned persons have an opportunity to object to the processing of their public posts.
BreakingNews.ie
21-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish employment in social media companies drops 11% since 2022
Digital Business Ireland has called on the Government to do more to support Ireland's digital and tech sector after new data showed a fall-off in the number of social media companies operating in Ireland and a 11 per cent fall in jobs in the sector. Data provided by the Department of Enterprise in response to a recent parliamentary question shows that the number of social media companies operating in Ireland has fallen by a fifth, from 40 in 2022 to 32 last year, while the number of employees in social media companies has fallen by 11 per cent from 15,478 in 2022 to 13,744 last year. Advertisement DBI said it "welcomes the commitments in the new Programme for Government to make Ireland an EU centre of expertise and a regulatory hub for companies operating across the EU Digital Single Market, while also ensuring that Ireland benefits from the innovation and investment potential of new technologies like AI". However, "DBI believes the Programme for Government's ambition must be matched with a pro-business, pro-growth approach to supporting Ireland's digital and tech sector to balance digital compliance and growth". In particular, DBI is calling on the Government to: Review and enhance the mandate and work of the Data Protection Commission and the State's enterprise agencies to provide enhanced advisory and support services for businesses. Champion an accelerated simplification of EU digital regulation, to boost innovation and growth across the digital and tech sectors, and to seek data transfer agreements with more third countries. Digital Business Ireland chairperson Caroline Dunlea said: 'The fall-off in jobs in social media companies operating in Ireland provides a timely reminder that Ireland must not take the digital and tech sector for granted. 'Government must do more to protect jobs in the digital and tech sectors and to safeguard Ireland's reputation as a supportive base for global digital and tech companies. 'A pro-business, pro-growth approach to supporting the digital and tech sectors must be prioritised by the coalition as part of its competitiveness agenda.'
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
RTÉ approved 116 external activities for employees in Q4 2024
RTÉ has published a statistical summary of external activities by staff for the fourth quarter of 2024, showing that 116 activities were approved. The RTÉ Register of External Activities commenced in February 2024 and this latest publication covers the months October, November and December 2024. Of the 116 activities approved, 52% resulted in no payment or benefit, one third were for less than €1,000, just over 16% were in the €1,001 – €5,000 band, and less than 1% were in the over €10,000 band. RTÉ Director-General Kevin Bakhurst said it is a matter of public record that the Data Protection Commission informed RTÉ that specific legislation would be required to publish a more detailed summary of the register. "That is now being considered by Government," Mr Bakhurst said. "In the interim, the Data Protection Commission has not objected to RTÉ publishing a statistical summary of activities in the banded system." "I am satisfied that this, albeit limited disclosure, has nonetheless provided a level of public transparency that was never previously available," he added Mr Bakhurst said it is notable that the data for the full year of 2024 demonstrates that half the approved activities relate to events where those working with RTÉ give freely of their time for charitable, sporting, community, academic and social reasons.
