Enda Kenny compromised in leak of Facebook court case documents

Inquitus · 02-03-2019 09:49PM #1

This is probably not going to do us any favours, if true.

The memo notes Kenny’s “appreciation” for Facebook’s decision to locate its headquarters in Dublin and points out that the new proposed data protection legislation was a “threat to jobs, innovation and economic growth in Europe”. It then goes on to say that Ireland is poised to take on the presidency of the EU and therefore has the “opportunity to influence the European Data Directive decisions”. It makes the extraordinary claim that Kenny offered to use the “significant influence” of the EU presidency as a means of influencing other EU member states “even though technically Ireland is supposed to remain neutral in this role”.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/02/facebook-global-lobbying-campaign-against-data-privacy-laws-investment

oscarBravo · 02-03-2019 09:55PM

Meh. I think it's fair to say that GDPR wasn't exactly influenced in Facebook's favour.

hmmm · 02-03-2019 10:00PM

If true, well done Enda. Lots of high paying jobs are more than welcome, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to come live in the real world.

Inquitus · 02-03-2019 10:01PM

Aye I don't disagree with his motives, but not the best reflection on us now it's out there!

Allinall · 02-03-2019 10:04PM

Inquitus wrote: »

This is probably not going to do us any favours, if true.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/02/facebook-global-lobbying-campaign-against-data-privacy-laws-investment

Curious as to why you think it won’t do us any favours?

Also curious as to what favours we might have got if Enda hadn’t said what he did.

odyssey06 · 02-03-2019 10:06PM

So Kenny is either a liar (to Facebook) or fool (in that he couldn't deliver on his unethical promises).
Makes us look bad to Facebook and to the EU. Great job.

Inquitus · 02-03-2019 10:12PM

Allinall wrote: »

Curious as to why you think it won’t do us any favours?

Also curious as to what favours we might have got if Enda hadn’t said what he did.

It doesn't look good to our EU partners if we are promising to abuse our position in the rotating EU presidency to assist Facebook in lobbying against proposed laws that impact their business negatively.

prawnsambo · 02-03-2019 10:12PM

odyssey06 wrote: »

So Kenny is either a liar (to Facebook) or fool (in that he couldn't deliver on his unethical promises).
Makes us look bad to Facebook and to the EU. Great job.

Yeah, sounds like Enda was telling Facebook what they wanted to hear.

Hector Mildew · 02-03-2019 10:53PM

prawnsambo wrote: »

Yeah, sounds like Enda was telling Facebook what they wanted to hear.

Yeah, sounds like he was playing their game...

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/03/01/facebook_teentracking_app/

Infini · 03-03-2019 01:54PM

One thing to note though is that this looks to be back in 2013/4 prior to the emergence of the more seriously negative effects of Cancer Media. That wouldnt fly now in no small part due to the Russian interference around Brexit, President Troll and CA.

WoollyRedHat · 03-03-2019 03:41PM

hmmm wrote: »

If true, well done Enda. Lots of high paying jobs are more than welcome, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to come live in the real world.

Do you think that's a viable strategy to abuse your position in EU for the gain of a minority? Very short term thinking.. Where do you draw the line?

prawnsambo · 03-03-2019 03:55PM

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Do you think that's a viable strategy to abuse your position in EU for the gain of a minority? Very short term thinking.. Where do you draw the line?

There was a lot of concern about the data protection legislation in its earliest manifestations. It did not have a lot of support and was seen as delivering unforeseen consequences. So it wouldn't have been surprising at the time that the government might be against it. But that was then.

WoollyRedHat · 03-03-2019 04:37PM

prawnsambo wrote: »

There was a lot of concern about the data protection legislation in its earliest manifestations. It did not have a lot of support and was seen as delivering unforeseen consequences. So it wouldn't have been surprising at the time that the government might be against it. But that was then.

Agreed, now it looks shady.

prawnsambo · 03-03-2019 04:46PM

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Agreed, now it looks shady.

Yeah. But you have to look at it in a certain way to make it look that way. Hindsight being a bit myopic in that regard.

hmmm · 03-03-2019 07:16PM

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Do you think that's a viable strategy to abuse your position in EU for the gain of a minority? Very short term thinking.. Where do you draw the line?

What's wrong with taking a pro business line when laws are being negotiated ? Ye'd be complaining if we had 20% unemployment.

odyssey06 · 03-03-2019 07:32PM

hmmm wrote: »

What's wrong with taking a pro business line when laws are being negotiated ? Ye'd be complaining if we had 20% unemployment.

Nothing... but thats not what he did. He was trying to pull off a two faced position and now he has been found out. Either he lied to facebook or he abused his position in europe. It shows him up as a liar or inept or both.

Enda Kenny compromised in leak of Facebook court case documents

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