Data Protection Commission learning from criticism

Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon, tells Cianan Brennan what it has been like since the advent of GDPR and dealing with criticism from Europe on its handling of Big Tech

Helen Dixon, the Data Protection Commissioner, admits that her job has become “more challenging” since the advent of the GDPR, the all-encompassing EU privacy regulation which has become part of the cultural lexicon since it was introduced in May 2018. Photo: The Data Protection Commission/PA

By any stretch of the imagination, the Data Protection Commission has had a rough year.

Ireland’s one-stop regulator for the Big Tech companies of the world has faced endless criticism, mostly from around Europe, although quite a deal has also come from Irish sources, regarding the perceived slow pace of its investigations.