Officers with the Data Protection Commission (DPC) entered an Irish company's office in Dublin in the last 24 hours as part of an investigation into the sale of smartphone location data, Prime Time has confirmed.
It follows a Prime Time report last Thursday, which revealed how the precise movements of tens of thousands of Irish smartphones are available to buy from brokers working in the digital marketing and advertising industries.
The report showed how phones could be tracked through prisons, military bases, and other secure or sensitive locations, then back to residential addresses.
It triggered high-level concern among politicians and officials, including people working in defence and security roles.
In a statement, the Commission said "the DPC, using its statutory powers, has this week obtained both the identity of the two companies and the dataset at the heart of last Thursday's RTE Prime Time programme.
"One of the companies is Irish-based and the DPC has this week attended an office in Dublin.
"The second company is based in another EU country and the DPC is engaging with the relevant EU Data Protection Authority."
Prime Time further understands the story has sparked concern at a European level, and is likely to be discussed at a meeting of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).
The EDPB advises the European Commission on any issues related to data protection in the EU.
Calls for action
During the investigation, a team of undercover RTÉ journalists posed as a newly established data analytics agency and obtained a sample of phone location data which showed the exact movement of about 64,000 Irish smartphones.
The report sparked major privacy concerns, and significant criticism of the Data Protection Commission, which is "responsible for upholding the fundamental right of the individual in the EU to have their personal data protected."
The revelations were described as "chilling" by Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik and "appalling" by Fine Gael TD Barry Ward. Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney called for the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris to come before the Dáil on the matter, describing it as "a threat to our national security."
On foot of the report, Women's Aid, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and RACO - which represents officers in the Defence Forces - all also called for action to be taken to limit the sale of precise smartphone location data.
Last 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.
The Prime Time report is available here, and on the RTÉ Player.
