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GRA, RACO and Women's Aid call for end to sale of location data

The Prime Time investigation was broadcast on Thursday.
The Prime Time investigation was broadcast on Thursday.

Women's Aid, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and RACO - which represents officers in the Defence Forces - have all called for action to be taken to prevent the sale of precise smartphone location data.

It follows an RTÉ Prime Time investigation which exposed on Thursday how detailed smartphone movement data is available to purchase from brokers in the digital advertising and marketing industry.

A team of RTÉ journalists posed as a newly established data analytics agency and obtained a sample of available data which showed the exact movement of 64,000 Irish smartphones.

The data was analysed and showed how phones in prisons, garda stations, military bases and other secure or sensitive locations could be isolated and then tracked back to residential addresses.

The details exposed in the investigation have triggered high-level concern in the Department of Justice, and within the Data Protection Commission. They were described as "chilling" by Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik and "appalling" by Fine Gael TD Barry Ward.


Read more: 'Utterly chilling': Bacik calls for action after phone data exposé


In a statement, GRA President Mark O'Meara has now said the sharing of such data "is not only extremely worrying but, in fact, potentially dangerous by exposing our members to the risks of threat, harassment and potential attacks".

"Our members have already suffered at the hands of social media... but this takes security risks to an entirely different level.

"Any such possibility of leaking or sharing of our members' personal data needs to be shut down and investigated as a matter of urgency," Mr O'Meara said.

Similarly, RACO, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, called on the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence "to immediately review this matter with his officials, both from a legislation enforcement and operational force protection viewpoint".

The General Secretary of RACO, Lt Col Conor King, said he backs other calls for legislative change to limit the sale of precise phone location data. He said RACO is "extremely concerned at how easily a tangible threat could present itself against members for the Defence Forces through the unlawful use of personal data".

Women's Aid has also warned that the availability of this data has "harmful ramifications for victims of domestic and sexual abuse and victims of stalking and grooming".

CEO of Women's Aid Sarah Benson said: "This is incredibly serious. The revelations by RTÉ showed our location data, our movements, the data of children: all for sale. An astonishing and frightening data breach, and a gift to stalkers and other predators."

"We are deeply concerned that this has been going on for so long without apparent government intervention and action," Ms Benson added.

"Action must be taken quickly and effectively by Government and the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure the privacy and safety of women and children at risk are protected."

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has said it is "extremely concerned" about the issue, and said it will take appropriate action.

On Friday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government is examining the issue "because there are security implications in terms of tracking of movement, particularly of people who may be vulnerable and on security grounds".

He added that the Government will be engaging on it with the DPC.