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Re: [CM] Ireland plans to stay at center of privacy debate

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On 2015-06-25, RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
> From the «the USA, meanwhile, will be bent over with trousers down» department:
> Title: Irish Regulator Says Country Will Stay at Center of Online Privacy Debate
> Author: By Mark Scott
> Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 04:00:24 -0400
> Link: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/irish-regulator-says-country-will-stay-at-center-of-online-privacy-debate/
> Podcast Download URL: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2015/06/23/technology/23bits-appleireland/23bits-appleireland-thumbStandard.jpg

(I'm Irish.)

When you see the words 'Ireland' and 'regulator' in the same
url, do please stifle the urge to guffaw loudly. Regulation is
not something we do well here, historically, unless it's the
regulation of the little guy, which we do splendidly and with
great vigour. You will find an account here [1] (sadly in some
sort of weird format, courtesy of something called steller) of
our Government's plan to record data on primary school children
(aged from 4 to 12) – including any special needs, psychological
assessments, and a lovely broad category of 'Other' which can be
added to by the child's teacher – and keep said data on record
until the child turned 30. 30! So 8 year old me upsets Mrs.
O'Toole and she writes a few damning comments on my 'record' and
these comments follow me into adulthood. Which is so many shades
of wrong I can't even begin to comprehend it. Thanks to a
campaign by a few – a very small few – concerned citizens the
whole thing is being reviewed, most unwillingly and in fits and
starts. In order to piledrive the thing through the schools,
schools were explicitly threatened to have funding cut if they
did not get the requisite number of parents to sign their
children up. So that's how things stand in Glocca Morra. [2]

> Ireland’s oversize role in the tech world extends to the growing debate about
> how companies use the reams of online data that they regularly collect on
> individuals’ online habits and activities.

Ireland's regulatory regime will end up complying with any
requests that come from our int'l business guests. I bear no malice
against those corporations, it is the nature of the beast to
seek and acquire. But our willingness to accede is startling, or
should be. During the government's second, and ultimately
successful, attempt to get the people to accept the EUs Lisbon
Treaty – we got, you see, the vote *wrong* the first time [3] –
Intel, a major national employer, rented advertising billboards
to tell the people to vote 'Yes', with a corresponding mention
of 'jobs' and 'growth'. Can you tell me, please, do Intel rent
advertising space to espouse their political views in the US? I
mean, there was one of these things in a local village here,
where Intel employs precisely no-one.

It is my view that the data giants will come for the tax breaks
and stay for the 'jobs' and 'growth' inspired regulatory
framework.

Now, I suppose I should read the linked article. ;)

[1] http://www.tuppenceworth.ie/blog/2015/04/12/pod-a-strange-tale-of-a-weird-idea/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Are_Things_in_Glocca_Morra%3F
[3] http://www.eolasmagazine.ie/irelands-eu-referendums/

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[CM] Ireland plans to stay at center of privacy debate RS Wood  <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-06-25 05:56 +0000
  Re: [CM] Ireland plans to stay at center of privacy debate Larry Hynes <larry@larryhynes.com> - 2015-06-26 12:17 +0100

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