The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has updated its key data protection policy with regard to the Public Services Card on foot of a negative report regarding the card carried out by the Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon. One interesting addition to the new statement is a specific recognition that the Department processes biometric data in the course of its business. References to such data were dramatically removed from the previous privacy statement on the order of Secretary General, John McKeon, following the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The new statement explicitly says that biometric processing of the photograph on the PSC is an example of “additional processing of personal data” carried out by the Department. The Department had not replied to queries from the Irish Examiner regarding the new privacy statement at the time of publication.

Source: Irish Examiner February 11, 2020 12:56 UTC