Update: the European Commission has written to tell me it is starting "pre-infringement dialogue" with Ireland about our complaint against Ireland's process to appoint the new Data Protection Commissioner These "EU Pilot" dialogues occur where the Commission suspects a Member State has broken EU law. See
Pre-infringement dialogue
Pre-infringement dialogues is a tool that can be used where it is likely to lead to swifter compliance than a formal infringement procedure. This p...
 See the full text of our complaint v Ireland to the European Commission here https://www.iccl.ie/digital-data/complaint-v-ireland-to-european-commission-re-process-appointing-ex-meta-lobbyist-as-data-protection-commissioner/
Leaked docs indicate the European Commission will publish a plan tomorrow to gut the GDPR and amend the AI Act. This will hurt European competitiveness and further advantage US and Chinese tech firms that dominate Europe’s digital market by breaking our law. Gutting GDPR would also undermine national security, children’s mental health, and everyone’s privacy.
We write in The Guardian this morning that the Commission’s plan to gut Europe’s digital rules will hurt European startups give U.S. tech an unassailable advantage, confirming Europe as a digital vassal. Piece by George Riekeles and I.
the Guardian
The EU has let US tech giants run riot. Diluting our data law will only entrench their power | Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
The GDPR is Europe’s defence against digital oligarchy and child harm. Deregulation plans are misguided, say Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
Note to political leaders - stop AI overhype. Today's letter from 73 scientists led by my colleague @npub1dvjt...4uac to Ursula von der Leyen demands that she retract her budget speech non-scientific AI statement that parroted tech CEO hype. https://www.mlex.com/mlex/articles/2409317/european-commission-asked-by-73-scientists-to-withdraw-ai-hype-statement
This morning we sent a complaint v Ireland to the European Commission Ireland has appointed an ex-Meta lobbyist as its new Data Protection Commissioner. The process lacked safeguards against conflicts of interest and political interference. This will be interpreted by the tech industry as a signal of impunity. The European Commission must intervene. https://www.iccl.ie/digital-data/complaint-v-ireland-to-european-commission-re-process-appointing-ex-meta-lobbyist-as-data-protection-commissioner/
The question of this moment is whether Europe will be a bastion of democratic resilience or a vassal. My piece in Tech Policy Press.
Tech Policy Press
Europe Isn’t Weak—It Just Pretends To Be. Here’s How to Fix That. | TechPolicy.Press
Europe must reclaim digital sovereignty through three levers: politics, policing, and procurement, writes Johnny Ryan.
Shock in Brussels and outrage across civil society. This story is not going away.
EUobserver
Outrage as Ireland picks ex-Meta lobbyist as new data protection chief
Civil society is outraged by Ireland data protection agency — the key one in the EU — picking a former Meta lobbyist as its new commissioner.
As I write in The Guardian this morning, the danger of this moment is that if Europe does not act against Trump now, it will never act again. If Europe continues to cower, it will be drawn into the same abyss.
the Guardian
The EU has a secret weapon to counter Trump’s economic bullying. It’s time to use it | Johnny Ryan
The anti-coercion instrument, or ‘trade bazooka’, is designed to shield against foreign pressure, says civil liberties campaigner Johnny Ryan
My speech at the European Parliament: rather than undermine the GDPR in its proposed "Omnibus", the European Commission should intelligently apply the GDPR as a tool for European competitiveness, national security, and protecting children online. https://www.iccl.ie/digital-data/use-data-law-to-protect-children-national-security-and-competitiveness-johnny-ryan-tells-european-parliament/
The Data Protection Commission has cost the Irish taxpayer €162.3 million since it was first informed of the RTB data breach in 2017. It has yet to take any action to stop that breach, as today's RTE PrimeTime expose shows. See table --> 📄.pdf image