🌍 Today, we're celebrating 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights. The #ECHR is a cornerstone of equality, justice and democracy in Europe; but its core principles are facing unprecedented challenges. For ICCL, the protection and promotion of these rights has never been so essential.

The question of this moment is whether Europe will be a bastion of democratic resilience or a vassal. My piece in Tech Policy Press. www.techpolicy.press/europe-isnt-...

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has signed a joint letter to the government to express our deep concern at the recent appointment of the third Commissioner of the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) ➡️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

The Irish Network of Legal Observers has today published its first report, which found that gardaí violated garda policies and human rights obligations when policing the Dublin’s port tunnel protest on Saturday 4 October 2025. Read the full report ➡️ www.iccl.ie/press-releas...

Kneecapping Dissent: A panel discussion on the crippling of artistic and political expression Join @iccl.bsky.social for a panel discussion with Dan Lambert, manager of Kneecap, Claire Mc Evoy, and Una Mullally, writer and journalist. #IAHRFestival smashingtimes.ie/event/kneeca...

Join us next Tuesday for a panel discussion on freedom of expression, with Dan Lambert, Claire Mc Evoy and Una Mullally! Kneecapping Dissent: A panel discussion on the crippling of artistic and political expression 🗓️ 14 October, 7.00pm to 8.30pm 📍 Hen's Teeth, Blackpitts, Dublin, D08 A9FD

As I write in The Guardian this morning, the danger of this moment is that if Europe does not act against Trump now, it will never act again. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Today, the @globalencryption.org published an open letter to the Irish government, expressing their serious concern about the government’s support for breaking #encryption. The letter was published ahead of an EU vote on Chat Control👉 www.iccl.ie/press-releas...

ICCL condemns the wholly disproportionate use of force by An Garda Síochána at a Dublin protest opposing genocide in Palestine on Saturday, 4 October.

EU governments will soon vote on whether they support the "Chat Control" bill. If passed, then every message you send will be scanned for child abuse material, even on encrypted apps like WhatsApp — undermining the privacy and security of everyone in the EU ➡️ www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-an...

🚨Reminder 🚨 🗓️ Saturday, 4 October ⏰ 12.30pm 📍Garden of Remembrance @ipsc.bsky.social #FreePalestine #FlotillaUnderAttack 🇵🇸

Women's Aid, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) have called for action to be taken to address the sale of smartphone location data by brokers in the #AdTech industry ➡️ www.rte.ie/news/primeti...

Important question in the Dail today after the RTE Prime Time expose on the sale of data about people's locations @ivanabacik.bsky.social asks @simonharrisireland.bsky.social After 8 years of inaction on Real-Time Bidding, how can you continue to have confidence in the Data Protection Commission?

The DPC announced its findings against the Dept of Social Protection and its use of facial recognition technology as part of the registration process, called SAFE 2, for the Public Services Card (PSC), in July. It published the decision yesterday afternoon

Excellent op-ed by @brianhonan.bsky.social on the dangers of Chat Control On your point about how these error prone scanning tools drag innocent people into the frame for heinous crimes, we @iccl.bsky.social and DRI previously published figures demonstrating this issue www.iccl.ie/news/an-gard...

ICCL Enforce Senior Fellow, @krisshrishak.bsky.social, recently signed a joint statement of scientists and researchers who are pushing back against the EU Presidency’s most recent "Chat Control" proposal. Read the full letter to learn more ➡️ csa-scientist-open-letter.org/Sep2025

ICCL strongly condemns the sanctions imposed by the US government on our colleagues @alhaq.bsky.social, as well as @almezan.bsky.social and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. We stand in full solidarity with them against these unjust, punitive measures. www.alhaq.org/advocacy/266...

ICCL welcomes the launch of the ‘National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030’ three years after its predecessor (the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022) expired.

ICCL welcomes the news that the Central Bank of Ireland will no longer authorise the sale of Israeli State bonds, or "war bonds".

We stand in solidarity with Kitty O'Brien, the Irish activist who was recently assaulted by police at a peaceful pro-Palestine demonstration in Berlin. ICCL is deeply concerned by the global increase in limitations on the right to protest, particularly in relation to Palestine.

ICCL welcomes reports indicating that the UK government has withdrawn its demand for Apple to build a "backdoor" into its encrypted cloud service ➡️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The irony is that the position the Government is taking (that competing privacy rights and rights to collective security have to be balanced to ensure each is given proportional weight) has been exactly tested in the CJEU and the top court found that it was *a disproportionate* action.

This latest madcap Internet plan from the Irish Govt will have EU-wide consequences as many of the most critical encrypted messaging systems companies are based here. Use Apple’s iMessage or Meta’s WhatsApp in the EU? You should be contacting your Govt and getting them to object to Ireland’s plan.

Forcing encrypted messaging services to create "backdoor" access pathways for Gardaí would undermine the security of all service users, as well as our fundamental rights to #privacy and data protection, warns ICCL Senior Policy Officer, Olga Cronin ➡️ shorturl.at/kw8sE

The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee has made a unanimous and unequivocal recommendation that the #OTB be extended to include a ban on trade in services from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. #PassTheOTB #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide

It is crucial to our democracy that protest is facilitated and that our rights to assemble and express our opinions are protected. As we witness genocide unfold in Gaza, ICCL calls on the Garda Commissioner, policing oversight bodies and Minister for Justice to ensure that these rights are upheld.

ICCL is deeply concerned by the proposal in the Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill to allow for the interception of encrypted messages for law enforcement access (1) ➡️ www.irishlegal.com/articles/pla...

ICCL welcomes the establishment of a commission of investigation into historic sexual abuse in schools ⬇️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

Austria's largest data protection organisation, @epicenterworks.bsky.social, has filed a formal complaint with the local data protection authority over the police use of facial recognition technology (#FRT) during a climate demonstration in Vienna. (1)

@iccl.bsky.social urges the Irish government to urgently designate the regulators to enforce AI Act prohibitions. EU AI Act prohibitions, applied since 2 Feb, will be enforceable in less than a month. But there is still no clarity on who the regulators will be. www.iccl.ie/news/ireland...

This evening TDs will debate a bill that would remove the right to a jury trial in defamation cases and leave the decision to a judge alone. ICCL believes that this would be a mistake. We urge TDs to retain jury trials for defamation cases. Read our full submission: www.iccl.ie/resources/su...

We're hiring! If you have: ✅ an advanced academic qualification in law or a related field ✅ a passion for human rights Then join us to work on criminal justice reform and procedural rights, and provide legal support across ICCL’s work. Apply by 9am on Mon 7 July. www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-is...

Our colleague @olgacronin.bsky.social responds to the new US policy of vetting people's social media accounts as part of its visa application process.

In the wake of the death of Evan Fitzgerald and revelations about Garda involvement in his case, ICCL has written to Minister Jim O'Callaghan urging him to legislate to regulate the use of covert human intelligence sources, including undercover gardaí. www.iccl.ie/press-releas...

This week, ICCL is taking part in the eighth review of the State under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Together with our civil society colleagues, yesterday we briefed the CEDAW Committee to inform today's dialogue with the State.

Yikes story with a decent resolution

In December 2023, @shamimmalekmian.bsky.social @dublininquirer.com wrote about an English language school in Dublin using a biometric system and app to scan students’ fingerprints and faces to track their attendance. A student reported there was often no alternative to using the biometric system.

Happy to learn that @iccl.bsky.social had raised concerns to Data Protection Commission about problems with an English language school's use of biometric clock-in system, following on our reporting on it in late 2023. DPC's intervention brought a withdrawal option & alternative methods for students.

Together with our partners, we urge all #EU Member States & the @ec.europa.eu to: ❌halt arms transfers ❌sanction those responsible for ongoing atrocity crimes ❌suspend the trade agreement with Israel Under the Genocide Convention, EU states are bound to act. Learn more: bit.ly/4eapcyB

ICCL, alongside 100+ human rights and humanitarian organisations and trade unions, are today urging the EU to ensure that the ongoing review of Israel’s compliance with article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement be thorough, comprehensive and credible. @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...

We're hiring! If you have: ✅ an advanced academic qualification in law or a related field ✅ a passion for human rights Then join us to work on criminal justice reform and procedural rights, and provide legal support across ICCL’s work. Apply by 9am on Mon 7 July. www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-is...

Today, the Data Protection Commission found that the Department of Employment and Social Protection (DEASP)'s collection of facial records for the Public Services Card was unlawful. This means that the DEASP unlawfully collected biometric data from 70% of Ireland's population over 15 years (1)

The revelations yesterday about Garda involvement with Evan Fitzgerald are deeply concerning and demonstrate the need for a robust framework to authorise and regulate covert policing, and for independent oversight.

Great piece by @shamimmalekmian.bsky.social about the dangers of FRT. Folks who are concerned - please consider signing @iccl.bsky.social's petition against the introduction of this dangerous and discriminatory tech to Irish policing www.iccl.ie/i-do-not-con...

While ICCL welcomes the news that the Minister for Justice intends to repeal the Offences Against the State Acts, we are deeply concerned at the government’s plans to retain a permanent non-jury court. Read our full statement ➡️ www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-st...

Yesterday’s State apology marked a profoundly significant moment for the family of Shane O'Farrell, who was killed in a hit-and-run in 2011. (1)

Today, in the first action of its kind in Ireland, ICCL will apply to the High Court to launch a class action lawsuit against Microsoft. This case will target the “Real-Time Bidding” (RTB) data breach within Microsoft’s advertising system ➡️ www.independent.ie/business/tec...

ICCL is deeply concerned by the government's plan to criminalise the wearing of face coverings. Read our full statement below⬇️

The Minister for Justice has announced that legislation to allow for dangerous and discriminatory facial recognition technology (FRT) is “well advanced” and will be introduced during the lifetime of the Government ➡️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

ICCL has long advocated for reform of Irish defamation law. While we mostly welcome the news that the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024 could be passed by this summer, the proposal to abolish juries in defamation cases remains a concern ➡️ www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...