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ARTICLE · 08 OCTOBER 2018

"Face-Off": Facebook, The Data Breach And The DPC

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Since 25 May 2018, two of the most hotly debated questions have been: (1) when can we expect the newly-strengthened and upgraded powers of data protection authorities across Europe to be kicked...

European UnionPrivacy
Bryan McCarthy
Bryan McCarthy
Sarah Slevin
Sarah Slevin
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Since 25 May 2018, two of the most hotly debated questions have been: (1) when can we expect the newly-strengthened and upgraded powers of data protection authorities across Europe to be kicked into gear; and (2) who, or what, will be the first major scalp? It appears we may be approaching an answer to these questions, and the key players will surprise nobody: the Irish Office of the Data Protection Commission (“DPC”); and Facebook.

The DPC and the internet behemoth look set to take part in the first large-scale engagement of the investigatory powers of the DPC under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018 (the “2018 Act”). The intention to conduct a formal investigation involving Facebook was announced by the DPC on Wednesday last, following almost a week of fall-out from the news that the social network had suffered a data breach that impacted upon 50 million users globally (with a potential effect on a further 40

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