Irish Gov makes critizising Big Tech and Irish DPC a crime!

National Administrative Procedures and DPA inactivity Ireland: Reporting about DPC procedures soon a crime! Irish Parliament can stop last-minute "gag order" amendment. In a surprising last-minute amendment to the otherwise innocuous "Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022" from September 2022 the Irish Government added a provision that would allow the Irish DPC to declare almost all its procedures "confidential". Section 26A would make most reporting about procedures or decisions by the DPC a crime. Speaking about outlandish claims by "big tech" or unfair procedures that often concern millions of users would equally become a crime. Various civil rights groups have called to stop Section 26A. The Amendment has to be approved by the Irish Parliament on Wednesday at 8pm Irish Time. Link to the Amendment (new "Section 26A" in DPA 2018) Statements Statement by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties Call to stop the Section 26A by Amnesty International Open Letter by EDRi