Control Freaks

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Junior Minister Jim Daly (left) and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg

Journalist Ken Foxe writes:

Minister Jim Daly wrote directly to Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg about his master plan to link social media accounts to passports (or public services cards) . I’m guessing there was no response as it wasn’t released under FOI.

However…

Ken adds:

Facebook HQ in Ireland did write back to Jim Daly saying his ID verification plan presented “some very difficult privacy and data protection-related issues” & offering a face to face meeting…

Correspondence between government and Facebook on controversial proposal to tie social media accounts to official identification documents (Ken Foxe, Thestory.ie)

Ken Foxe

Pics: Rollingnews/Getty

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38 thoughts on “Control Freaks

  1. ivan

    the apostrophe in “person’s” (fourth line) is wrong, isn’t it?

    I’m not *always* a stickler for proper punctuation but in a case like this, he should be getting this right.

    1. Otis Blue

      It’s a really badly written letter. No surprises on that score as he’s a complete tool. And completely lacking in any self awareness. While keen to present himself as Minister for Mental Health and Older People. His proper title in fact is Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Mental Health and Older People. Not the same thing at all.

      This is worth a gander too

      http://jimdaly.ie/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Link-to-Salary-and-Expenses-of-Jim-Daly-TD2.pdf.

      It’s clearly out of date and relates to his time as a backbencher but he’s at pains to stress that he only earns a tenner an hour, given how hardworking he is.

      A bit special is Jim.

    1. qwerty123

      If you got a letter from a TD asking you to pay more tax you were legally obliged too, would you say yes?

  2. ahjayzis

    Our politician’s have no fupping clue about the value of data and the dangers of it’s misuse by criminals and megacorps like Facebook.

    This oaf is offering Facebook FREE access to our governments new citizen’s database without legislation or anyone’s consent. It’s either criminal negligence or he’s selling us out.

    I’m still waiting for the piece of legislation and a vote in parliament making their decree that ID cards are now compulsory legal?

    1. Cian

      What are you talking about?
      The first letter offered to create a NEW identifier that will only be available to over 13s.
      This is not giving Facebook access to any citizens database. It’s a number that identifies a person as being old enough to get an account.
      It would most likely work as web service whereby FB connects to a government system, and FB sends this number (and probably the first and last name). The government system then either says “yes” that is a valid combo; or “no” that is invalid. And FB then allows the creation of the account or not.

      1. ahjayzis

        You think our government wouldn’t pair this number with our PPS numbers? You see no problem with corporations and government swapping notes on citizens online activity? What other services would you like corporations to check in with the government before providing you?

        Repressive regimes would have a FIELD day with this halfbaked nonsense. Citizen’s locked out of communication services because Big Brother hasn’t given the green light.

        How about we try getting parents to actually parent their kids instead of infantilising the entire population and maybe not creating a massive database on all of us? Data is THE commodity of the 21st century – be a little less blasé about slack jawed idiots like this country publican offering yours to unaccountable tech monopolies.

        1. Cian

          okay, so the government links this to my PPSN; and then I go to facebook and create an account.

          1. Now the government knows I created a Facebook account.
          2. Facebook knows that I’m an adult.
          3. But Facebook doesn’t know my PPSN – why would they?
          4. And the government can’t see my Facebook details (unless I make them public)

          And yes I would see a problem with corporations and government swapping notes on citizens online activity. But that isn’t what was suggested by Jim Daly. He suggested a one-off check before creating a new Facebook account. It’s actually quite an elegant solution.

          1. ahjayzis

            To what problem? Kids being where they shouldn’t be?

            In what world is that the elegant solution?

            Why don’t we fit everyone with ankle tags and on entering a pub, a signal is sent to government to confirm we’re over 18 and can get in or or not? That’s definitely easier than requiring parents to actually fupping PARENT.

        2. ReproBertie

          “You think our government wouldn’t pair this number with our PPS numbers?”
          Our government can’t even link up the Revenue and Social Welfare systems to determine if people paying tax on earnings are also claiming the dole.

          Incompetence will ultimately be the undoing of any big brother style data control plans.

          1. ReproBertie

            There is no plan. There won’t be a plan. They can’t implement a plan. The departments are all siloed and the data protection laws prevent them joining up.

  3. Mourning Ireland

    Parents will kill Facebook off. Kids are deserting it in droves. Ironically the age of the average FB user in Europe is higher than the average age of its employees – they (FB) are out of touch with their product, I mean audience. So much for diversity and empathy.

    ‪’Parents killed it’: why Facebook is losing its teenage users

    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/16/parents-killed-it-facebook-losing-teenage-users?CMP=share_btn_tw‬

  4. Killian G

    That is kind of embarrassing for all of us.

    And what do you know… Jim is a schoolteacher/publican “by profession”.

    “Born and raised in Drinagh, Co.Cork. Married to Virge with six children. One of eleven children himself, seven boys and four girls. ….. Jim started out his working life in primary and then secondary school teaching before becoming Principal of Skibbereen Gael Scoil. He also ran a thriving business in Roscarbery Co Cork after purchasing a public house and music venue at the age of 21.”

    We need to ban MUINTEOIRs becoming politicians in this country. Like WTF.

    1. ahjayzis

      Or hire decent civil servants to slap this nonsense down so they don’t make a show of us.

      It’s Fidelma Healy Eames’ “RAPED…on Facebook” yet again.

  5. filly buster

    oh man! what a clueless idiot.

    All this pretense about it being to protect children .. when they made it clear the idea was to protect their party from people exposing truths about them online.

  6. bisted

    …Jim has a personal relationship and direct line to the creator of the universe…so why wouldn’t he assume a direct line to Mark?

  7. al

    Just thinking about this … wouldn’t every country in the world need to sign up to this? If not then all you would need to get around it is a VPN. Unless you only allow people to connect to people in countries with the system in place. Would that work? Or does that go against the idea of an open net? You’d create different “zones” online. It would restrict people’s ability to communicate … issues already …

    And any site/app that allows comments would have to comply right? Facebook? Youtube? Broadsheet?

    And wouldn’t it mean the end of humorous(but not really) usernames? That doesn’t sound so serious but anonymity would be gone forever and every comment you’ve ever made on any website could be connected …

    It’s a noble idea but i can’t see it working. It’s a global problem and as such needs a global solution … which is always a bad place to start with these kind of issues… yet another reason I’m glad I never had kids.

    1. Matt Lucozade: The Only Reader of the Village

      Facebook’s nightmare is that is doesn’t have ENOUGH <13 years olds who want to use it. Game over for that.

  8. Matt Lucozade: The Only Reader of the Village

    It’s total BS. It’s like telling Americans to give up the right to bear arms. This isn’t a political issue, but a social one. Forget it.

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