‘It’s Natural Facebook Would Choose Ireland’

at

Screen Shot 2015-05-26 at 10.54.51

Former Federal Data Commissioner in Germany, Peter Schaar

“Former Federal Data Commissioner in Germany, Peter Schaar, says that it isn’t for tax reasons why Facebook has chosen to locate their EU headquarters in Ireland, but rather it’s for our relaxed data protection laws.”

“Speaking to The International New York Times, Schaar said that while Ireland had attracted companies like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Apple, it is Ireland’s loose interpretations of data protection law that is most appealing to them.”

Of course Facebook would go to a country with the lowest levels of data protection. It’s natural they would choose Ireland,” Schaar told the New York Times.”

Yikes.

“Of course Facebook would go to a country with the lowest levels of data protection” (Newstalk)

Who’s the Watchdog? In Europe, the Answer Is Complicated (Mark Scott, International New York Times)

Pic: GMX Newsroom

Sponsored Link

23 thoughts on “‘It’s Natural Facebook Would Choose Ireland’

  1. Digs

    So fed up with every other country bitching and moaning about corporation tax affairs here. Fine for Germany, the biggest free market in the union. We’re a small island nation , we do what we need to do to attract jobs. We’re not killing anyone or exploiting anyone. Now it’s our poor data laws. Why is everyone so interested! I’m voting kip from now on!

    1. Paolo

      We should just suck it up and go back to being a tiny agri economy on the periphery of Europe.

    2. Clampers Outside!

      While I agree with most of that… not “exploiting anyone” isnt exactly true… if big companies don’t pay enough tax, we pick up the rest.

      And they could all do with paying a little more, if not at least the full corporation tax

  2. Miko

    I guess if you come from a country that registered the personal data of people by race and disability and then eliminated those who didn’t fit the assigned criteria you might be extra diligent about the data protection. But not every country is Germany or bears the moral burden of what was done there. Peter would do well to remember that as opposed to having a go at a country which has no significant history of abusing personal data (unless you count that miscarriage of justice with Mick Wallace getting off penalty points)

    1. YourNan

      Wow, bringing up the nazis to cover up for the incompetence and corruption of your country. what a moron.

      1. Paolo

        Our data commission is not incompetent and if you knew ANYTHING about it you would realise that.

      2. ahyeah

        it was perhaps a little early in the conversation to introduce the nazi factor but, as anyone who’s ever contributed to an online debate knows, it’s never inappropriate.

  3. Gav D

    This is completely and utterly inaccurate and is in fact political horse trading to do with the upcoming European wide reform of the data protection regulations.

    Of particular interest is that recent leaks from Germany and France have shown they’re full of poop with this sort of tough talk; it is in fact those two countries fighting the most to have data protection requirements loosened rather than made more restrictive.

    Transparent bull-poop.

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        Yep. Brought one myself to the DP office and they were really professional.
        Herr Schaar has ze beef with Zuckerberg and Ireland…that is all.

        1. Jaden

          The issue is not with Data Protection per se, but with enforcement of existing law. Alot of data collection and misuse/propagation goes undetected, and even when issues are detected, they are never dealt with, alot of sweeping under the rug goes on.

          Other countries of course do the same, but I will say of most of our European Counterparts, they they are far more on the ball with this, as is the UK.

          The US record of handling people’s data speaks for itself.

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie