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stg22 · 2 years ago
Read the amendment itself.

The proposal is that where the Irish DPC gives confidential information to somebody as part of an investigation, it can instruct that person not to leak the information it gave. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2023-06-2...

It's possible to oppose the amendment without putting a dishonest spin on it like "Irish Gov Makes critizising Big Tech and Irish DPC a Crime."

sunk1st · 2 years ago
There’s a direct logical connection. The mechanism is easily abused. Mark everything as confidential and what happens? The headline becomes true. Why? Because criticism will necessarily require leaking confidential information.

This particular headline makes an honest appeal to your emotions.

croes · 2 years ago
And what prevents that everything is declared confidential?
stg22 · 2 years ago
It's more complicated than that, because the DPC has to give the information to the specific person before it can instruct them not to leak it, though that doesn't completely eliminate the potential for abuse.

The US FTC has the same power, except the instruction must be signed by an in-house judge and the proposed amendment should have a similar safeguard.

If the headline was something like "Irish Gov Proposes Law With Inadequate Safeguards", I'd agree with it, but "Irish Gov Makes Critizising Big Tech and Irish DPC a Crime" is a false statement.

r9295 · 2 years ago
For how much longer will the EU tolerate such behavior from the Irish DPC? related: https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2023/01/14/will-europes-pr...

Deleted Comment

sunk1st · 2 years ago
What options are at the EU’s disposal to fix the issue?
jsnell · 2 years ago
The headline doesn't seem to match the content. There's nothing in the article text about this making "criticism" illegal.

Based on a quick scan, I'm not convinced that the draft bill text matches the article text either, and the blatantly sensationalist headline makes it kind of hard to trust them to be honest about summarizing that text.

sunk1st · 2 years ago
Without any links to references this comment has no weight.
jsnell · 2 years ago
References to what? I'm talking about the headline of the article, which is "Irish Gov Makes Critizising Big Tech and Irish DPC a Crime", and the article text which does not support that claim at all. Even based on the article text, you'd be able to criticize both as much as you want even if this law was passed.

Like, sure, I get it. Writing an honest headline would make it harder to rile up a mob. But if the law is as bad as they claim it is, surely it is possible to describe that honestly and still have it be effective.

OliverM · 2 years ago
Also see the ICCL's statement on the same amendment (it's a lot more direct about the issue and the implications): https://www.iccl.ie/news/last-minute-government-amendment-se...

The ICCL is the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. They're fully independent of the government and are funded by memberships. If you're an Irish citizen they're well worth supporting (only €40 per annum). I'm a member.

sunk1st · 2 years ago
What’s the DPC’s argument against?
hilbert42 · 2 years ago
Is this for real or am I dreaming it?

I wonder what the cost/quid pro quo was to get that up.

EagnaIonat · 2 years ago
That news website looks dodgy.

- It's the only one reporting this.

- If you read the amendment it doesn't actually appear to match the claim.

croes · 2 years ago
NOYB = None of your business is the organization of Max Schrems, the guy who's lawsuits ended the privacy travesties called Sage Harbor and Privacy Shield
croes · 2 years ago
The declare-things-as-confidential is a standard procedure to block any freedom of information laws.

You can't criticize if you can't talk about their wrong doings because they declared them confidential.

switch007 · 2 years ago
Misleading title:

> The Amendment has to be approved by the Irish Parliament on Wednesday.

It’s a real stretch to say a government making or amending a bill that has to be approved by Parliament is “making something illegal”. That’s too much artistic license. Moreover, it hasn’t happened yet

villgax · 2 years ago
No wonder BigTech hides or reroutes their riches through Irish subsidiaries
adhvaryu · 2 years ago
Ireland is overall great for registering businesses because of their 'unconventional' laws.

For e.g. aviation

https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/aviation-finance/...

> It is estimated that Ireland commands a 60 per cent share of the global leasing market, with more than 50 aircraft leasing companies including 14 of the world’s top 15 lessors based here.

PeterStuer · 2 years ago
If by 'unconventional' laws you mean laws that are extremely convenient to facilitate tax evasion for international corporations, you are 100% correct.
switch007 · 2 years ago
N.B for readers: that link is an advert, not actual journalism