Major changes to espionage laws abroad sparks domestic review

The 1963 Official Secrets Act — enacted before developments in physical spying technologies, the internet, digital spying technologies, cyber espionage — needs to be updated, writes Cormac O'Keeffe

The Official Secrets Act is seen as out of date, or, as one source put it, 'not sufficiently mature' and 'well behind other states'. File photo

Ireland’s new security watchdog is about to carry out a scoping review into Ireland’s laws on combatting espionage.

The primary law, the 1963 Official Secrets Act, is more than 60 years old — long before developments in physical spying technologies, the internet, digital spying technologies, cyber espionage and foreign influence operations.