Digital Rights Ireland
Description
Digital Rights Ireland defends civil, human and legal rights in a digital age. It describes itself as a small, focused organisation with no staff or office. All its funds go directly towards its work. Volunteers and board members carry out that work.
Its activities fall into three areas: legal challenges, work with government and legislators, and public activism. In legal challenges, it brought a constitutional case against the Irish government over blanket retention of internet and telephone records, winning a landmark victory at the European Court of Justice. It has sought leave to intervene as an amicus curiae in related litigation over blocking file-sharing websites.
In work with government and legislators, it gave evidence to Oireachtas committees, including on cyber-bullying and on the Data Protection Bill 2017, to help lawmakers understand online rights issues. In public activism, it explains digital rights issues publicly and helps organise campaigns. It contributes regularly to radio programmes and to print and online publications.
Digital Rights Ireland is a member of European Digital Rights and works with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Privacy International. It is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Kilkenny. Its board of directors includes Dr TJ McIntyre as chair, Antoin Ó Lachtnain and Colm MacCárthaigh, and it is represented by McGarr Solicitors.
It describes itself as an independent, non-profit organisation not influenced by parties other than consumers, with procedures to prevent conflicts of interest. In 2024 it was funded by individual supporters giving less than 200 euro each, plus under 10,000 euro in travel and event support from the Digital Freedom Foundation for litigation-related projects.
Latest news
Digital Rights Ireland welcomes €550,000 fine for illegal PSC Biometric data gathering
DRI welcomes today’s decision of the DPC finding that the gathering and processing of biometric data as a requirement for a PSC card was illegal. This inquiry arose out of concerns that DRI raised about the PSC and its associated systems, ‘SAFE2’ and ‘mygovid’. Having filed a formal complaint in...
12 Jun 2025
Data recorded on smart meters should not be a secret.
ESB Networks have been installing smart meters all over Ireland and using them to collect detailed information on electricity consumption. The meters also record other information apart from consumption. We think this includes information about the quality of the electricity system, such as...
4 Nov 2024You don’t need a Public Services Card to make a social welfare claim
You don’t need a Public Services Card (PSC) to make a social welfare claim. Over on X, Citizens Information have confirmed that “You can apply [for a social welfare benefit or allowance] without a PSC if using a paper application form.” The Citizens Information Board is responsible for the...
16 May 2024
The identity of every person you phone, text, and/or email, the date and time of when you do so, and the location of where you are when you do so, is now being retained by mobile phone companies for Garda access. It follows the Department of Justice obtaining a High Court order requiring the...
28 Jun 2023
In a victory for Facebook users whose data was leaked on the dark web, Digital Rights Ireland (DRI) has resolved its court case with the Data Protection Commission. This enables DRI to continue its campaign to vindicate the rights of E.U. residents whose data protection rights were violated by...
3 Feb 2023
Digital Rights Ireland takes DPC to Court Over Facebook’s 530 Million Users’ Data Leak
Digital Rights Ireland goes to court over Data Protection Commission’s decision regarding Facebook’s responsibility for its 530 million user data leak. 10 January, Dublin – Digital Rights Ireland is appealing against the Irish Data Protection Commission’s decision that the leaking of over 110...
10 Jan 2023
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