Commissioner defends Irish DPC's relationship with big tech

Irish Data Protection Commissioner Des Hogan has defended the DPC's regulatory record, claiming it holds multinational technology firms to account without fear or favour. Appearing before a parliamentary committee, Hogan highlighted that the regulator has levied fines totalling over €4 billion against large platforms. He noted that while public sector organisations generally accept these penalties, all but two fines against big tech companies are currently being challenged through both statutory appeals and judicial reviews.

In response to suggestions that the regulator is too close to the industry it oversees, Hogan pointed to the scale of the fines and the commission's commitment to procedural fairness. He explained that inquiries often take several years because the DPC must ensure robust legal defences against the well-resourced legal teams of major technology corporations.

The hearing addressed recent controversies surrounding the AI tool Grok and the proliferation of non-consensual sexual images. Senior Irish government figures maintained that existing laws are sufficient to prosecute the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM); however, a senior garda clarified that intimate abuse imagery of adults must be shared to constitute an offence while an investigation requires a formal complaint.

Ireland's media and online regulator, Coimisiun na Meán, stated that providing access to an AI tool capable of creatingCSAM is not inherently illegal, even though the creation of the images themselves is a criminal offence. The regulator is currently assisting the European Commission in an investigation into X's compliance with its obligations following the Grok controversy.

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