Tuesday , June 24 2025

Ireland: Draconian law to make data protection procedures confidential

Ahead of a discussion in the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) today on a proposed amendment to a bill that would allow the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) to label all matters before it as confidential, Rasha Abdul-Rahim, Programme Director at Amnesty Tech, said:

“The government’s attempt to allow the Irish Data Protection Commission to label all of their procedures as confidential is a blatant attempt not only to shield Big Tech from scrutiny but also to silence individuals and organizations that stand up for the right to privacy and data protection.

WhatsApp banned on all US House of Representatives devices

The U.S. House of Representatives has banned congressional staff from using WhatsApp on government devices due to security concerns, as...
Read More
WhatsApp banned on all US House of Representatives devices

Kaspersky found “SparkKitty” Malware on Google Play, Apple App Store

Kaspersky found a new mobile malware dubbed SparkKitty in Google Play and Apple App Store apps, targeting Android and iOS....
Read More
Kaspersky found “SparkKitty” Malware on Google Play, Apple App Store

OWASP AI Testing Guide Launched to Uncover Vulns in AI Systems

OWASP has released its AI Testing Guide, a framework to help organizations find and fix vulnerabilities specific to AI systems....
Read More
OWASP AI Testing Guide Launched to Uncover Vulns in AI Systems

Axentec Launches Bangladesh’s First Locally Hosted Tier-4 Cloud Platform

In a major milestone for the country’s digital infrastructure, Axentec PLC has officially launched Axentec Cloud, Bangladesh’s first Tier-4 cloud...
Read More
Axentec Launches Bangladesh’s First Locally Hosted Tier-4 Cloud Platform

Hackers Bypass Gmail MFA With App-Specific Password Reuse

A hacking group reportedly linked to Russian government has been discovered using a new phishing method that bypasses two-factor authentication...
Read More
Hackers Bypass Gmail MFA With App-Specific Password Reuse

Russia detects first SuperCard malware attacks via NFC

Russian cybersecurity experts discovered the first local data theft attacks using a modified version of legitimate near field communication (NFC)...
Read More
Russia detects first SuperCard malware attacks via NFC

Income Property Investments exposes 170,000+ Individuals record

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an unsecured database with 170,360 records belonging to a real estate company. It contained personal...
Read More
Income Property Investments exposes 170,000+ Individuals record

ALERT (CVE: 2023-28771)
Zyxel Firewalls Under Attack via CVE-2023-28771 by 244 IPs

GreyNoise found attempts to exploit CVE-2023-28771, a vulnerability in Zyxel's IKE affecting UDP port 500. The attack centers around CVE-2023-28771,...
Read More
ALERT (CVE: 2023-28771)  Zyxel Firewalls Under Attack via CVE-2023-28771 by 244 IPs

CISA Flags Active Exploits in Apple iOS and TP-Link Routers

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has recently included two high-risk vulnerabilities in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV)...
Read More
CISA Flags Active Exploits in Apple iOS and TP-Link Routers

10K Records Allegedly from Mac Cloud Provider’s Customers Leaked Online

SafetyDetectives’ Cybersecurity Team discovered a public post on a clear web forum in which a threat actor claimed to have...
Read More
10K Records Allegedly from Mac Cloud Provider’s Customers Leaked Online

“Despite being responsible for upholding the data privacy of millions of social media users in Europe and around the world, the Irish DPC has a woeful track record of holding Big Tech companies to account. This last-minute proposal is an affront to the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and access to information – and will undermine protections for internet users. This amendment, which would unduly limit people’s ability to publicly hold the DPC and Big Tech to account, should be urgently dropped.

ALSO READ:

IBM QRadar SIEM Users at Risk of XSS Attack and Information Disclosure

“Rather than trying to shield Big Tech from public scrutiny, the Irish authorities should fully enforce the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and fulfil its obligation to hold Big Tech to account and protect internet users. Amnesty International’s research has consistently shown how the surveillance-based business models of companies like Meta and Google fundamentally undermine the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and opinion.”

Background

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is a vital data protection regulator, with a unique responsibility for holding the world’s biggest tech platforms — many of which are domiciled in Ireland — to account.

On 21 June, the Irish Government introduced a “ministerial amendment” to the Data Protection Act of 2018 in the final stages of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022.

 

Check Also

AI Vulnerability

Zero-Click AI Vulnerability Exposes Microsoft 365 Copilot Data Without User Action

Aim Labs discovered a zero-click AI vulnerability named “EchoLeak” in Microsoft 365 Copilot and reported …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *