Digital Regulator: DPC
The DPC (Data Protection Commission) is the national data protection authority in Ireland.
They are responsible for making sure that your personal data is used by companies in compliance with data protection laws. The most well-known law that they regulate is the General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR. They also have powers related to other important regulatory frameworks including the Irish ePrivacy Regulations (2011) and the Law Enforcement Directive.
The DPC specifically focuses on the protection of your personal data. Personal data is any piece of information that helps someone to know who you are, such as your full name, your email address, or a photo or video of you. It can even include information about what you search for online or the kinds of posts you like on social media.
The DPC’s core tasks involve:
- handling complaints lodged by individuals who have concerns about how their personal data is being used;
- carrying out investigations and inquiries as to whether data protection laws are being complied with by companies;
- cooperating with data protection authorities in other EU Member States;
- providing guidance on best practices in data protection to organisations, companies and the public.
Contacting DPC
If you have contacted an organisation about a personal data concern and are unhappy with the outcome, you can raise the matter with the DPC through their online form or by emailing [email protected].
Some examples of complaints they receive include:
- I requested a copy of all of the information a website I have used has about me, but they won’t respond to me – what are my rights?
- I keep receiving unsolicited marketing emails from a company, but I never gave them my consent to contact me. I’ve tried to opt out but the company continues to send me marketing emails – what can I do?
- I want to delete my social media account and all related personal data – what are my rights in this regard?
- Pictures of my child have been posted online by a sports club without my knowledge – what can I do about this?
- My medical records were mistakenly shared with another patient – what can I do about this?
For more information, please visit www.dataprotection.ie.