Legal

Data Protection Commission’s deferral of privacy campaigner’s Google complaint justified, court rules

Judge says Johnny Ryan of the ICCL’s case contending the deferral of his complaint into Google’s targeted advertising was ‘too extreme’

Mr Justice Garrett Simons “incorrect” to say that a supervisory authority cannot defer consideration of a complaint pending the completion of related investigations or inquiries

A decision by the Data Protection Commission to prioritise its inquiry into Google’s targeted advertising over a complaint made by a privacy campaigner was correct, a High Court judge has found.

Mr Justice Garrett Simons said the “absolutist position” advocated by Johnny Ryan was “too extreme” and he dismissed the judicial review application.

Ryan, a senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), had argued that it was not permissible for the commission ...