Big Tech defector Niamh Sweeney may be a vital asset for Data Protection Commission

Despite the Irish Council for Civil Liberties' complaint, a former colleague writes that the former Facebook/Meta executive could be a powerful asset for the regulator

Niamh Sweeney heading into an Oireachtas committee hearing in 2018 when she was head of public policy for Facebook Ireland (now Meta).

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission regarding the appointment of a former public policy director at Meta as one of Ireland’s new data protection commissioners.

The ICCL has expressed “outrage” over Niamh Sweeney’s appointment, claiming that her previous role, in which she lobbied on behalf of Meta, precludes her from the impartiality and independence which the role of commissioner requires.