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Minister of State for Data Protection, Dara Murphy TD, today addressed students on the Law Society of Ireland course “Privacy, a human right for the digital age – the legal practice and challenge of Data Protection,” saying that the theme is of direct relevance to every citizen in Ireland today. Up to 2,700 students from Ireland and around the world are participating in the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). 

Addressing students on the course, Minister Murphy spoke of the increasing importance of data protection in the digital age, saying:
“It is two years since I was first appointed to this post with responsibility for data protection, and in that time, I have seen an ever-increasing emphasis on the right to privacy and data protection in today’s world, where technology has become so much a part of everything we do.”
Commenting on privacy as an issue for all users of digital services, Minister Murphy added:
“As users and consumers of services, we need to understand the importance of protecting our personal data. A key finding from a Data Protection Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission last June is that trust in the digital environment remains low.”
“This highlights a key challenge we have. People want the conveniences and advantages that digital technology brings but will only engage if they can fully trust it,” he said.