Covid-19: Council broke the law by using drones to monitor public movement

Wexford County Council used drones to monitor public movement during the Covid-19 lockdown. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

The Data Protection Commission has ruled that Wexford County Council failed to adhere to the law by using drones to monitor public movement during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The ruling sets a noteworthy precedent, given the prevalence of drone use by Irish local authorities, that any such use of unmanned aerial technology is answerable to data protection law and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).