EU Commission urged to investigate the Irish DPC's independence

European Digital Rights (EDRi), along with 40 other civil society organisations, including NOYB and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), have expressed "extreme concern" in an open letter to Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, concerning the independence of the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The move follows the recent appointment of Niamh Sweeney as the DPC's third Commissioner.

The letter questions the DPC's independence because the new Commissioner previously held a long-standing senior public affairs role at one of the Meta platforms that the DPC is mandated to regulate. Furthermore, the individual was actively lobbying for these platforms until only last August. The groups argue that this history raises serious questions about both the perception and reality of the DPC's impartiality at a time when its independence is critical for the entire European Union.

Training Announcement: Freevacy offers a range of independent data protection qualifications from IAPP and BCS. Our certified courses are available at foundation and practitioner levels and cover multiple legal jurisdictions, data protection operations management, and the implementation of complex privacy solutions in technical environments. Find out more.