Meta urges Irish Government to help water down GDPR

A request made under the Irish Freedom of Information Act 2014 by The Irish Times has revealed that Meta has privately urged the Irish Government to lead a campaign for a substantial overhaul of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In a letter sent on 23 May to Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, Meta's chief privacy officer and vice-president, Erin Egan, claimed the interpretation and enforcement of the strict EU rules are "completely out of control," to the point that they are "stifling innovation," and are creating uncertainty for service providers.

Meta argued that GDPR simplification efforts present a "small window of opportunity" that should not be wasted. The company argued that EU data laws should be revised to better account for "economic interests" and private sector innovation.

Meta specifically requested the Irish Government's support in flagging its concerns about the existing framework's "ineffectiveness" to Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, who is Irish and oversees the GDPR, as well as to other European governments. A Department of Justice spokesman confirmed that Ireland supports the Commission's plan to simplify data protection laws but stressed that any changes must "get the balance right" by reducing administrative burdens while continuing to protect citizens' fundamental rights. 

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