The Data Protection Commission has said it is investigating “potential breaches” of the General Data Protection Regulation by a Government department, following a complaint that it allegedly interfered with the role of its data protection officer, an offence under the EU legislation. Digital Rights Ireland wrote to Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty after the records were obtained by The Irish Times, alleging “serious interference” with the role of the data protection officer (DPO). Senior investigatorIn response to the complaint on November 23rd, a senior investigator with the Data Protection Commission replied that having examined it, “we consider that potential breaches of the GDPR have been highlighted”. However, on Wednesday evening the Department of Social Protection said it was “unaware” of any investigation into the independence of the data protection officer. Under GDPR, the data protection officer must be independent and an organisation employing one is not permitted to give them any instructions regarding the exercise of their tasks.

Source: The Irish Times December 06, 2018 05:26 UTC