After two years of investigation, the Irish data protection authority has readied two draft decisions on Big Tech cases, it tells netzpolitik.org, investigating Twitter data breach and WhatsApp/Facebook data sharing. Now it well send this to discuss in @EU_EDPB. Release:
In the past few months, the Irish DPC faced criticism for acting slowly on a number of key cases involving Facebook, Google and other giants. Now at least two investigations are moving to an unprecedented new phase - decision made jointly by European data protection authorities.
The cases, once concluded, could mean massive fines for the companies involved of up to 4 per cent of their global revenue. In the case of Google, that would mean billions of euros. Moreover, the rulings will create a mould for future decisions by data protection authorities.
It will be interesting - and groundbreaking - to see the Twitter and WhatsApp cases move into new territory, pan-European decision-making. Two crucial questions - how long will it take? And how transparent will proceedings be on the side of the European Data Protection Board?
First to report this was @CNET last night. See this great thread by @WolfieChristl for context.
This step could help to assuage some of the recent criticism of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is that while the rules are sound, their enforcement is hampered by weak watchdogs. This is especially true for Ireland, the EU seat of many US tech companies
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