Ireland is set to play an important role in advancing data protection concerns throughout the EU presidency, a seminar held in Dublin and hosted by legal firm Matheson to mark Global Data Protection Day heard. New regulations, with particular relevance to multinationals operating in and through Ireland such as Facebook, could see businesses have to change the way they deal with user consent in the use of tracking cookies and the right of users to have information about them purged from websites like discusson forums and social networks.
The proposed data protection regulation aims to strengthen and harmonise existing laws across the EU in order to ensure more transparency on information being collected, as well as an individual’s right to protection of personal data. EU policymakers are seeking to reach agreement on new laws applicable to every member state later this year to be implemented by businesses by 2015.
The seminar examined the key changes and issues businesses operating in and through Ireland should be aware of. These included maximum penalties for intentional or negligent breaches can reach up to €1,000,000 or 2% of the annual worldwide turnover of the company.
Speaking at the seminar, Commissioner Hawkes said: "The aim of Global Data Protection Day, which was launched by the Council of Europe in 2006, is to give European citizens the opportunity to understand what their rights are with respect to the processing of their personal data as well as highlighting for data controllers and processors the risks inherent in any unfair processing of personal data.
"During the Irish EU Presidency this year and the on-going discussions between member states on the text of the new draft data protection regulation it is also important to highlight the need to further strengthen and harmonise data protection law across the EU."
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