Inquiry into Facebook data transfers 'did not land like a spaceship'

Austrian lawyer and data privacy rights campaigner Max Schrems.

A preliminary draft decision by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) to inquire into the legality of data transfers by Facebook Ireland to its US parent did not suddenly land like a spaceship on the social media giant, the High Court was told.

The facts which gave rise to DPC Helen Dixon's decision to conduct the inquiry and suspend transfers were well known from the long history of complaints and litigation about them from Max Schrems, the Austrian privacy and data rights campaigner, Michael Collins SC, for the DPC, said.