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Johnny Ryan

@johnnyryan.bsky.social
5.4K followers 2.4K following 555 posts

Director of ICCL Enforce iccl.ie/Enforce Previously Chief Policy Officer of Brave. FRHistS. ie.linkedin.com/in/johnnyryan1

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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 12h
This is a a key battleground in a multi-front fight to the death. Rule of law or rule of the oligarchs.
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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 13h
H.E. Tomoko Akane President of the International Criminal Court outlined the effects of US sanctions on her and her colleagues to a meeting of judges and practitioners at the Four Courts, Dublin today in the presence of the Chief Justice of Ireland Donal O'Donnell.
Round Hall, Four Courts, audience.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
We talked about you quite a bit
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
do you need a dot in front of the first @ to make the post public rather than a DM @achapell.bsky.social ?
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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 · 28/09/2026
Important breakthrough in Europe's icebreaker Big Tech class action opens the path for class actions to hold Big Tech accountable using the GDPR. ICCL v Microsoft class action update... Full decision in link --> enforce.ie/digital-data...
enforce.ie
ICCL secures landmark precedent against Big Tech - Enforce
Class action will target “Real-Time Bidding” (RTB) data breach in Microsoft’s advertising system, and is anticipated to affect Microsoft’s operations across the EU
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
bsky.app/profile/john...
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
That was 2,951 days ago (96 months)
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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 · 21/09/2026
Ten years after the GDPR was negotiated, Ireland's DPC has today finally completed its *first* ever inquiry into Google (aside from "amicable resolution" trivia). We are still waiting for any outcome from the Google RTB complaint to the DPC in 2018.
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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 · 18/09/2026
France is now saying it out loud: tech firms must stop diverting European corporate tax to Ireland www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
French minister wants Ireland to share its technology tax billions
French finance minister calls for large tax revenues from tech multinationals to be more fairly distributed across EU
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Anyway, I’m not having a go. Exciting morning.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Nor on background diplomats apparently
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
contrary to yesterday's reporting? www.ft.com/content/2e2e...
ft.com
EU rebuffs Mark Carney’s ‘unique alliance’ with Canada
Some governments balk at prime minister’s call for ‘middle powers’ to join forces against US and China
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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Jakub Jaraczewski @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🇨🇦🇪🇺 All those decades of people explaining that Canada is "a mix of an European country and United States" are finally paying off.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I'll be on Morning Ireland shortly to discuss von der Leyen's #SOTEU announcement about protecting children online and AI.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Job announcement: please come and work with us at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. We want to hire an officer & operations manager. www.iccl.ie/news/vacancy...
iccl.ie
Could you be ICCL's new Office and Operations Manager?
The deadline to apply is 2pm on Friday 2 October 2026.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Ah! News to me.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
What is W?
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
@cloud.eurosky.social how goes it John?
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This is a fantastic interview. “I’ve never heard anyone trash the very thing they’re here to promote quite like Mr T does today.” Bravo @shattenstone.bsky.social! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
‘I don’t chase the dollar. I never did’: the astonishing hidden life of Mr T
He grew up in the ghetto, became a global superstar – then gave it all up. Why did he step away from the spotlight?
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Erik is the CEO of a company that competes against Google in adtech
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
What she should do is allow Teresa Ribera to take action. But if not, then European capitals need to push Dublin to enforce GDPR on Google to stop its illegally cascading data power.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Yesterday's decision by a US court to not breakup Google means von der Leyen is probably looking at that wiggle room, in deference to Trump.
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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 · 02/09/2026
Yes but Ireland has that covered. Non profit orgs like ours that have no state funding have a hard time paying for complex litigation. www.politico.eu/article/17th...
politico.eu
How a 17th-century Irish law is shielding Big Tech from class actions in Europe
Ireland has limits on outside funding for court challenges, stopping Europeans from seeking compensation from Big Tech for harms.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
But in Brussels, DG Comp will have a hard time getting approval from von der Leyen for enforcement. The one chance for Europe's journalism & innovators is that EU governments push Dublin to enforce GDPR against Google's illegally cascaded data power. Ireland is the lever for the entire EEA market.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Google, proven illegal ad tech monopoly, gets to retain its RTB exchange. This puts it up to European enforcers who have already signalled they want to break Google up, but have waited for the US Court to move first to avoid Trump friction. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/t...
nytimes.com
In a Big Win, Google Won’t Have to Break Up Its Ad Tech Business, Court Rules
In a long-awaited decision, a federal judge said Google must change its ad tech business to address antitrust issues, but did not disclose the measures.
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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
FT Editorial on Israel’s de facto annexation of the West Bank www.ft.com/content/9669...
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
This seems significant…
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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Tony - Pod Guy - Groves @tonygroves.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Today the Government will have an emergency Dáil sitting over fuel excise duty. Later today the latest homelessness figures will be announced. A new record, no doubt, with over 7k children in emergency accommodation. But there’ll be no emergency sitting for them.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Good piece from Ellen O'Regan of POLITICO: “How a 17th-century Irish law is shielding Big Tech from class actions in Europe”. www.politico.eu/article/17th...
politico.eu
How a 17th-century Irish law is shielding Big Tech from class actions in Europe
Ireland has limits on outside funding for court challenges, stopping Europeans from seeking compensation from Big Tech for harms.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
He cites the letter many of us signed (still accepting signatories) aial.ie/blog/ireland...
aial.ie
Open letter calling for Ireland to recuse itself from digital matters during EU Council presidency
Text of the Open Letter click here to sign the letter Ireland took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July. During this six-month period, Europe will renegotiate it...
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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
He cites the letter that many of us signed @fotoole.bsky.social aial.ie/blog/ireland...
aial.ie
Open letter calling for Ireland to recuse itself from digital matters during EU Council presidency
Text of the Open Letter click here to sign the letter Ireland took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July. During this six-month period, Europe will renegotiate it...
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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 · 25/08/2026
Big piece from Fintan O'Toole in this morning's Irish Times, about Ireland's big tech payoff and the harm to children it allows www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...
irishtimes.com
Will Ireland continue to take TikTok’s money after M9 crash? Too bloody true we will
We are living off the immoral earnings generated by deliberately addictive and toxic content aimed at children
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
“Apple booked pre-tax profits of $6m per employee in Ireland, compared with just $51,000 per employee in Germany…” (This information is only public now because new EU law forces transparency) www.ft.com/content/65fb...
ft.com
Apple paid $17bn in taxes to Ireland after court ruling on back levies
New filings highlight iPhone maker’s global tax liabilities
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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 22/08/2026
If only we had leaders with this kind of nerve in Europe. Instead, we get continual surrender to Trump. Even though Europe is much more capable of defending itself from the US than Canada , which is much much more exposed. The difference is courage. Something Europe needs to find.
bbc.com
Canada says it will match US tariffs 'dollar for dollar' as trade talks break down
A new 50% levy on $20bn of Canadian imports comes into force after a last-minute breakdown in trade talks.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
This redaction deserves to be challenged. I’d like to see them follow the story to wherever it leads. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Details of Taoiseach’s correspondence with tech giant Apple withheld on security grounds
Some of the world’s biggest technology companies lobbied the Government on AI and online safety before Ireland’s EU presidency
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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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Reposted by Johnny Ryan
Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 29/07/2026
I'm so tired of EU national leaders talking out of two sides of their mouths - saying the EU should do more and be stronger and then refusing to give it the money and resources necessary to do so. Because they lack the political courage to be honest with citizens about why it is needed.
davekeating.substack.com
Northern leaders want to cut an EU budget already on a shoestring
EU national leaders keep saying they want a union that “does more.” Then they show up in Brussels asking it to spend less.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I’ve been relying on the Epoch ECI testing
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
If this happens and Europe somehow benefits from this, it will be by luck rather than strategy.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
... 3. If (if) China commodifies the LLM then US investors may (may) find their exuberance was excessive, while EU will be less exposed.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Tangent: China (but also US LLMs) probably distillation-steal leading US LLM training. But let's remember that US labs already stole the legally protected work of all the authors in the world (LibGen, etc). techcrunch.com/2026/04/30/e...
techcrunch.com
Elon Musk testifies that xAI trained Grok on OpenAI models | TechCrunch
"Distillation" is a hot topic as frontier labs try to prevent smaller competitors from copying their models.
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
On 16 July Chinese LLMs reached near parity with top US LLMs. This indicates 3 things: 1. China’s heavy AI regulation (it has at least as much AI law as the EU) did not stop AI innovation. 2. Revoking Biden’s AI Executive Order did not protect US lead. ...
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Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
And has not a true single market
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