Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Dixon. She put very well some of the concerns a number of people have articulated about the business model when she said in her testimony, "All of this may happen without the user being aware his or her own data are being deployed to reinforce the individual's existing viewpoint rather than the individual being in a position to take an objectively formed stance based on an understanding of both sides of an issue." In other words, this is having the consequence of an increasingly self-reinforcing polarisation. Ms Dixon went on to say her office is looking at "whether [the online behavioural advertising system] is in compliance with the GDPR, especially in respect of lawfulness and transparency to users". In coming to conclusions on this, is any decision the commission makes binding on all of Europe? Is the decision the commission has to make an all-Europe one? Ms Dixon made the point that the GDPR is a very good, broad, principles-based regulation. Does it give her the powers to address some of these issues if she feels there is a real lawfulness or transparency issue in the consequences of this characteristic of the platforms?