UN experts warn of Big Tech influence over Ireland’s digital oversight

United Nations-appointed human rights experts have contacted the Irish government to raise concerns about the independence of the country’s privacy regulator and the financial barriers to class actions, citing the risks of “undue influence” from Big Tech firms.

The experts said on Wednesday that the independence of data protection authorities and effective access to courts are “essential to safeguarding the right to privacy, particularly where powerful technology companies are involved.” Many tech giants including Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft have their European headquarters in Ireland, making the country’s privacy regulator, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), the lead European enforcer for EU privacy law.

Irish government authorities have long faced criticism for being too lax on tech giants , whose presence is critical to the country’s economy.