Speaking at a PL&B conference on 6 February, Dr Des Hogan, appointed as Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) in February 2024 said that the regulator expects better compliance from big tech which have large privacy teams, compared with a smaller organisation. He said the DPC becomes “intolerant” when their advice is not followed. On the other hand, he welcomed organisations to get in touch early to have face-to-face discussions on the compliance challenges they face. “We always remain open to discuss companies’ plans in a confidential setting,” he said.

The one-day conference, Data Opportunities in Ireland, featured an array of regulators, large organisations with their EU headquarters in Ireland, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and leading privacy lawyers. The location was chosen to recognise Ireland’s strategic position in the EU as far as data protection enforcement is concerned. The day also included detailed discussions about regulatory cooperation and the relationship between the GDPR and AI Act.