Labor Leader Calls for Accountability Following Mobile Phone Data Sale Revelations
Labour leader Ivana Bacik has reacted strongly to an RTÉ Prime Time investigation revealing the sale of detailed irish mobile phone location data, describing the findings as “utterly chilling” and questioning the Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) effectiveness.
The investigation, broadcast on Thursday 18 September, showed that brokers in the digital advertising industry are offering smartphone movement data for purchase. A Prime Time team, posing as a data analytics firm, obtained a sample dataset containing the precise movements of 64,000 Irish smartphones over a two-week period earlier this year.
Analysis of the data demonstrated the ability to track phones within sensitive locations – including prisons, military bases, and Leinster House – and subsequently link those movements to residential addresses. the investigation highlighted the potential for identifying individuals through a combination of location data and publicly available facts.
Ms. Bacik expressed particular concern regarding the security implications, stating the ability to trace individuals through sensitive locations represented a threat to national security. She specifically referenced the investigation’s mapping of Leinster House, noting the visibility of phone clusters near the Labour Party offices.
“It was chilling watching the investigation,” Ms. Bacik said. “To know that [reporter] Kate and your team were able to track people’s movements so that you could, actually, identify people simply by use of location data, coupled with other publicly available information – utterly chilling.”
Ms. Bacik has called on the Government to publicly state it’s confidence in the DPC and to explain why no action has been taken to address the issue, despite the Commission receiving over €160 million in funding over the past eight years. She expressed disbelief that the DPC was unaware of the data sale.
Fine Gael TD Barry Ward also responded to the report,calling for new legislation to protect smartphone users.He described the revelations as “shocked and appalled,” emphasizing the dangerous level of personal information revealed by the data. The Prime Time investigation was able to identify the home addresses and daily routines of individuals, including a person working in Mr. Ward’s parliamentary office.
However, Ms. Bacik argued that existing GDPR rules already prohibit the onward sale of personal data, including location data, as defined in Article 4 of the regulation. She believes new legislation is not necessary,but that the Government must demand action from the DPC to prevent further breaches of privacy and potential threats to security and democracy.
Source: https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2025/0918/1534034-data-for-sale/
