EU expert deals blow to Irish data laws

EU Court likely to agree with opinion of its legal adviser on Dwyer case

Graham Dwyer is seeing to overturn his murder conviction. Picture: Collins Courts

The EU’s top legal adviser has said Ireland’s system of mass retention of mobile phone traffic data for the investigation of serious crime breaches EU laws on privacy.

The Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) said such broad retention was only permitted in situations of a serious threat to national security.