iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Meta hosted senior Irish Government officials & regulators at an event titled "Ireland as a Trusted Digital Regulatory Hub". Ireland's former regulator who sued all other EU data regulators to avoid investigating Meta was a speaker. (She now works for Meta's law firm.) lnkd.in/p/dYg9TPnk

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Google event in Brussels this evening “to celebrate Ireland’s Presidency” of the EU Council. “Google is delighted to bring together Irish policymakers…” rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/irish... (they have wisely now removed some of this text)

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

From the DPC archives: "Urgent" meant 8+ years. (Spotted by my colleague Louise Hooper)

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This is insanity. Irish Presidency's draft text of amendments to the GDPR allows training & operation of any AI without safeguards & tough legal basis (under "legitimate interest" a company claims what it is doing is OK. Up to you to find out and challenge in court). This is a free pass for US Tech.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The European Commission told Google last year that a breakup of its RTB business is required. The wiggle room is that Google can propose alternatives. (para 2160-1 of doc ec.europa.eu/competition/... )

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Big piece from @fotoole.bsky.social in this morning's Irish Times, about Ireland's big tech payoff and the harm to children it allows www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

We should not hesitate to call this evil.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Thomas Piketty Irelands economic model harms other countries, speaking to @naomiohreally.bsky.social in this morning’s Irish Times www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

As I wrote in my The Economist letter in March, China's heavily regulated LLM industry is catching up on US largely unregulated industry (Kimi 3 has near parity with Claude Opus 5). Safety standards didn't stop Chinese innovation. The EU must reconsider its assumption that deregulation = innovation.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

"Extremely unpleasant" meetings. Former Irish Data Protection Commissioner on discussion with European colleagues. www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Ireland's Minister for Enterprise met Meta to discuss the "digital agenda for Ireland's EU presidency" at a private dinner at the US ambassador's residence. It was hosted "in partnership with Meta". www.independent.ie/business/min...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

New York Times on what new EU transparency rules reveal about Microsoft's tax: 40% of all income registered in Ireland, 0.5% registered in Germany. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/t...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Contrary to what the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) said last week, Ireland's record of inquiries and sanctions against big tech is dismal.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

As they note, the consequences of Ireland's sabotage of the GDPR have hurt children and market competitiveness across Europe.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Important from prominent EPP MEPs Andreas Schwab @aschwab.bsky.social & Pablo Arias: "Concerns regarding Ireland's historical enforcement of the GDPR and its economic alignment with large non-EU technology firms raise serious questions about its capacity to neutrally oversee these negotiations".

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

He is incorrect: Ireland fined Meta €1.2B because it was forced to by EU peers. Ireland's DPC had actually proposed a fine of €0! See para 38 of EDPB Decision 1/2023.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) had to respond to my piece in The Guardian yesterday morning. But...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

The fantastic @caoilfhionn.bsky.social is interviewing former President of Ireland Mary McAleese on stage at ICCL’s 50th anniversary conference right now.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I told Reuters last week that Meta's new employee-surveillance-to-train-AI-to-replace-employees (apparently called the "Model Capability Initiative") is a sign of what is to come every worker, everywhere. We want to hear from Meta employees. www.reuters.com/business/met...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

AI race: US leads. How far behind are China and Europe? Our plot of 2 years of AI Epoch Capability Index scores (a composite of LLM test scores) Note: EU firms acquired by US firms counted as US. Data source @epochai.bsky.social epoch.ai/data/benchma... (20 May 2026)

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

We have released several updates to Verity, our tool to minimise AI hallucinations. v0.3.0 --> www.iccl.ie/digital-data... Free for researchers, campaigners, legislators, litigators, reporters to use, adapt, and improve.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

This is not an advertisement The participating tech companies push self-loathing and suicide into children’s feeds, the sponsoring law firm works for TikTok and Meta, and the expert is the person who sued all other EU enforcers to not act against Meta. legal-news.mhc.ie/14/1251/may-...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I’m on stage at Re: Publica in Berlin (virtually) right now, and speaking (in person) on stage tomorrow Thanks Kristin Siebert for the photo.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Dubliners, what is going on here?

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

German (ARD) documentary on digital scams and the data that powers them was watched by 3.71 million viewers last night! See Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung piece www.faz.net/aktuell/feui... Watch on ARD --> www.ardmediathek.de/video/hirsch...

Johnny Ryan on screen at a cinema showing of a documentary about digital scams and data

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Lili might be right www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/w...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

As I told the Oireachtas Justice Committee yesterday evening, Ireland is a tax haven and a digital haven. When forced to act against Meta by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the DPC sued the EDPB instead. It's a Wild West here. There is no sheriff. And no shame.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

The Department of Justice's selection criteria prevented any serious, credible enforcer from even being short listed, instead favouring generic management. The interviews dedicated only 10 minutes to expertise - and that was led by a corporate lawyer who works for big tech.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

My testimony at the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) Justice Committee yesterday evening: new documents reveal serious problems in the recruitment process for Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I will also set out that Ireland's previous Data Protection Commissioner (A) tried to sue all other EU data authorities to resist investigating Meta's intimate data use (DPC v EDPB); and (B) two weeks ago joined Meta's primary law firm, which represents Meta in many lawsuits against the DPC.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Before The Smyths there was Patrick Kavanagh

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Apple + Microsoft + Eli Lilly paid 46% of all corporate tax to Ireland in 2024 See note from the Ireland's Fiscal Advisory Council. - www.fiscalcouncil.ie/new-council-... - www.irishtimes.com/business/eco...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

US Border Patrol admits using Real-Time Bidding (RTB) data to track people's movements. The failure to enforce against the RTB data breach at the heart of online advertising is very, very dangerous. Big scoop by @josephcox.bsky.social @404media.co! www.404media.co/cbp-tapped-i...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Temu booked €1.7B in Europe through Dublin. But what about tax? Documents indicate that the "Double Irish" is back. The Irish State claims ignorance. Clip - See exchange in the Irish Parliament yesterday between Sinéad Gibney and Minister Jack Chambers.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) is responsible for protecting people across the EU because tech firms put their HQ offices in Ireland. DPC admitted today that it hasn't finished a single Google investigation since the GDPR was introduced. Kudos @sineadgibney.bsky.social for asking

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Irish Data Protection Commission was asked today in Committee: have you ever taken a GDPR decision on Google? Answer... No. Ireland is responsible for supervising Google's data use across the whole EU. It has produced no decisions. Kudos @sineadgibney.bsky.social for asking the question.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

"the Commission recalls that as far as the dominant position of IBM in the European market is concerned ... will be vigilant to ensure that there is no use of such a dominant position" From 1974 aei.pitt.edu/97739/1/1974...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Clear communication. This writer knows what they think, and what they want the reader to know.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Former PMs to VDL “This confrontation concerns…the right of nations to govern themselves without foreign interference; and their ability to protect their children in the digital age. The question is not whether Europe can strike a deal, it is whether Europe and the rest of the world can remain free”

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

This morning, former Prime Ministers urge Ursula von der Leyen to use EU trade bazooka against Trump www.ft.com/content/af70...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

@profpech.bsky.social the Commission has had many routes to act that it refuses. My table here is an example of tools to shut down algorithmic boosting of extremism, from our submission to the Commission. VDL + DG Just + DG Connect are too cautious to use any of them. www.iccl.ie/wp-content/u...

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

The EU and US may (we do not know) have arrived at a 1938 style Munich Declaration "agreement" over Greenland. But this is no recipe for peace for our time. Nor was it then.

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Paul Krugman is asking the critical question: will Europe finally use its power?

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Bravo to Tusk, Poland’s PM. (Though European leaders should stop using X to announce their defiance)

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

This is a mad thing to say in privacy policy for a home alarm / security camera monitoring app (Alarm.com) Paraphrasing the highlighted text - “We will not your data with others … unless ‘necessary’ for our business”

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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Irish political leaders cannot claim that we need new law before the Grok CSAM machine can be shut down Here is a table of available law to protect our children—> www.iccl.ie/wp-content/u...

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