When I pointed out @Charities_Reg overstepped their powers to order #Repeal Maser mural removal and noted they weren’t pursuing the 20+ anti-choice fake charities I reported to them, they blocked me and refused to say why. The Info Commissioners just told them they can’t do that. 
This OIC decision means that, if you’re a public body and you block someone on twitter, you have to tell the person why you did that if they ask. Your reasons might be gibberish but you still have to give it. The person can then challenge the gibberish reasons with the Ombudsman.
The CEO of @Charities_Reg has recently quit for a new big job in the Mental Health Commission so I’ll be keeping close eye on which MH hospitals get sanctioned for breaches and which don’t, but in the meantime CRA still has to account for biased behaviour during #Repeal.
The @Charities_Reg argued that blocking someone on Twitter wasn’t an action against them as a person, it was against an account, so the person has no FOI rights. The OIC said that’s nonsense.
Twitter is a relatively new thing so official Ireland hasn’t really got its head around it but I pointed the Info Commissioner towards the common law precedent set in the US when Dnld Trmp blocked people. The US Court said he can’t do that.
Full credit to the Info Commissioner (who sensibly isn’t on Twitter) for this strong decision btw. They’d know that they’re establishing a precedent which will likely open them up to some very annoying appeals. It’s potentially added to their workload but they haven’t shirked it.
