{"id":250505,"date":"2021-05-15T12:53:47","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T09:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ireland-rejects-facebook-bid-to-block-regulatory-data-probe\/"},"modified":"2021-05-15T12:53:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T09:53:47","slug":"ireland-rejects-facebook-bid-to-block-regulatory-data-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ireland-rejects-facebook-bid-to-block-regulatory-data-probe\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ireland rejects Facebook bid to block regulatory data probe"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Ireland rejects Facebook<\/a> bid to block regulatory data probe<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\"Activists
\n Activists have been pursuing Facebook over EU to US data transfers for years
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Ireland’s High Court on Friday rejected Facebook’s bid to block an investigation that could potentially stop data transfers from the European Union to the United States.<\/p>\n

“I refuse all of the reliefs sought by (Facebook Ireland) and dismiss the claims made by it in the proceedings,” read a statement from High Court judge David Barniville, dismissing its challenge against the Data Protection Commissioner’s decision to hold a probe.<\/p>\n

Facebook’s European headquarters is the Irish capital, Dublin, and the DPC acts as the firm’s lead regulator in the EU.<\/p>\n

The US tech titan was not immediately available for comment when app<\/a>roached by AFP about Friday’s news<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Irish regulator launched its inquiry last summer after a top EU court decision over Facebook invalidated a key online data arrangement between Europe and the US.<\/p>\n

“The DPC decided to commence an ‘own volition’ inquiry … to consider whether the actions of Facebook Ireland Ltd in making transfers of personal data relating to individuals in the European Union\/European Economic Area are lawful, and whether any corrective power should be exercised by the DPC in that regard,” the court statement noted.<\/p>\n

‘Problematic’ transfers<\/b><\/p>\n

The prior EU decision in July 2020 stemmed from a legal complaint by Austrian activist Max Schrems, who in 2015 scuppered a previous EU-US deal on which tech giants depend to do business.<\/p>\n

Schrems had forced the Irish regulator to try and block transatlantic data transfers in the wake of the EU judgement.<\/p>\n

The DPC has meanwhile attempted for several years to block such transfers, arguing they were “inherently problematic” due to privacy concerns.<\/p>\n

Facebook had objected to the DPC’s inquiry, arguing that it had acted “unlawfully” in starting the probe.<\/p>\n

The US firm added the decision was made without supplementary guidance from the Court of Justice of the European Union or the European Data Protection Board.<\/p>\n

“Facebook Ireland took issue, on several grounds, with the decision by the DPC to commence the inquiry,” the High Court statement noted.<\/p>\n

However, judge Barniville rejected Facebook’s arguments.<\/p>\n

Schrems meanwhile speculated that such data transfers would be blocked potentially within months by the DPC.<\/p>\n

“Irish regulator gets green light for probe that could halt Facebook data,” tweeted Schrems.<\/p>\n

“Now (the DPC) could get this out the door within a matter of two months, after almost eight years of procedures,” he added.<\/p>\n

New pact?<\/b><\/p>\n

However, Brussels and Washington are hoping to use a recent thaw in ties to strike a pact to allow for the exchange of private data across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Such a deal would replace previous agreements that were struck down by the EU court.<\/p>\n

Facebook, Google, Microsoft and thousands of other companies want such a deal to keep internet traffic flowing without facing significant legal jeopardy over European privacy laws.<\/p>\n

Under the landmark General<\/a> Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect in 2018, social media users have a wider range of rights relating to their data.<\/p>\n

Regulators such as the DPC have been armed with new powers including the ability to fine firms up to four percent of their annual global turnover.\n <\/p>\n\n

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Facebook may have to stop moving EU user data to US\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \u00a9 2021 AFP<\/p>\n

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Citation<\/strong>:
\n Ireland rejects Facebook bid to block regulatory data probe (2021, May 15)
\n retrieved 15 May 2021
\n from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-05-ireland-facebook-block-regulatory-probe.html<\/p>\n

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