Data protection watchdog rejects accusations it lobbied on behalf of tech giants

Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon: Her office has come in for extensive criticism from Europe, from privacy activist Max Schrems, and from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties in recent months regarding the perceived inadequacy and slow pace of its decision-making regarding big tech companies based in Ireland, such as Facebook. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon has rejected accusations it lobbied on behalf of large tech companies based in Dublin as “completely untrue”.

Amid media reports at the weekend, the DPC was accused of lobbying its European superior agency the European Data Protection Board (EPDB) in order to ensure the adoption of GDPR guidelines favourable to social media companies two years ago.