5th Newsletter -> 5 - 11 August 2016

Irish Data Protection Office issues Guidance on Location Data

The Irish Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has published detailed guidance on location data with the purpose of advising users of smart phone apps on what are the terms attached to the downloading and use of apps and where location data is collected. The guidance is aimed at both individuals and organisations and it will assist individuals in understanding how information relating to their location is collected and processed, and provides clarity to organisations on their obligations regarding such data. The overriding principle of the guidance centres on the protection of the individual’s right to data privacy. As the rate of technological innovation continues, more and more location data is being collected and transmitted and individuals should be vigilant of how this information is collected, processed, and re-used.

Read more HERE

Read the guidelines for individuals HERE

Read the guidelines for data controllers HERE

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Irish DPC’s criticism on data protection supervision

Irish Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon recently gave a speech at Irish Centre for European Law annual Data Protection Conference, where she expressed frustration at the lack of clear objectives for data protection and a failure to detail the harm it is designed to mitigate. She criticised the large number of complaints received by her office, which had only a marginal connection with data protection issues, and she labeled solicitors as “digital ambulance chasers” for bringing volumes of complaints of little importance and using subject access requests for fishing expeditions in litigation. But most importantly and to some extent controversially the DPC Dixon made it clear that she does not think she should be obliged to consider every complaint received by her office. In her view her office is currently lacking funds and personnel and she believes that the current available resources be better used examining systemic data protection issues.

Read more HERE

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Privacy Shield Certification Problems

From 1 August 2016 onwards business can go through the process of self-certification to show their adherence to the Privacy Shield Principles. But the process has encountered some technical issues, because the International Trade Administration (ITA), which administers the application process on the American side for the US Department of Commerce, has not yet confirmed the certification of any companies under the EU-US Privacy Shield since the application process went live. The website run by ITA where the list of participating business should be listed has not yet been updated in more than a week.

Read more HERE

You can find the list of Privacy Shield participating businesses HERE