Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank both witnesses for their presentations. It is fascinating stuff. I was very keen to hear Ms Neary's presentation because of the emphasis on online advertising and how online advertising can grab behaviour, attitudes, likes and dislikes of individuals to then target them for particular messaging. The reason I am concerned about it is because of the upcoming referendum. It is really interesting to note that as the new data protection regulations in Europe will be brought in on 25 May, the very day the referendum is being held, they will not cover the period between now and when the referendum is held. I have serious concerns, as do many people, given the recent revelations regarding Cambridge Analytica and the use it made of people's information on Facebook. It has been reported that some 87 million Facebook users were affected by the misuse of data by Cambridge Analytica. One of its former employees, Thomas Borwick, has been engaged by the "No" side in the referendum campaign to produce online advertising. That connection in itself is a big worry for what may happen in terms of influencing the democratic outcome of the referendum.

I am bit mixed up. The commissioner does not perceive that she might have a role in this. She tells us, and this is obviously her legal job description, that she is concerned with the enforcement of data subject rights and the supervision of organisations that hold, use and control personal data of individuals. She then says that her office has no role in regulating the core aspects of electoral activity, including advertising and canvassing activities other than where those personal data are deployed. Could she comment on that and clarify whether she does not perceive her own role to involve querying what might be happening with the use of personal data in the referendum campaign? She has stated her role does not overlap with electoral activity other than where those personal data are deployed. If it has been proved that companies like Cambridge Analytica and others have used personal data to influence democratic outcomes in other countries, would she have concerns about that in the current referendum campaign?

The commissioner says she is concerned about vulnerable Internet users such as children. Does she not think there is a whole cohort of vulnerable Internet users, such as older people a bit like myself, who grew up in an age where we did not automatically learn about social media and how to use it and that there is a cohort of the electorate that is very vulnerable to that type of advertising?

Regarding the impact of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, of those 87 million Facebook users who were affected, has the commissioner an idea as to how many of them are based in Ireland? Given that Facebook has its second largest global headquarters in Dublin, does the commissioner have concerns that there might be more targeting of an Irish audience or is that incorrect? Does she have an idea as to how many Irish Facebook users have been affected?