Helen Dixon reappointed as Commissioner for Data Protection for second term
The Government has reappointed Helen Dixon as the head of its powerful Data Protection Commission for a second five-year term.
Data Protection Commission regulates the European operations of global tech giants like Facebook and Google, making it the lead regulator in the bloc under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) regime.
Since her appointment in 2014, Data Protection Commissioner Dixon has roughly quadrupled the staff and budget of the regulator.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said Ms Dixon is "internationally well regarded for her expertise in this area".
"I know that Helen is deeply committed to her role as Commissioner. She has launched a number of significant investigations into multinational companies' alleged non-compliance with GDPR and it is crucial that she be allowed to see them through to completion."
In the past year, we've been contacted by the public over 48,000 times. Find out how to contact us with your data protection concerns here: https://t.co/uJfSBvmFR7 pic.twitter.com/Jx27dH7MSx
— Data Protection Commission Ireland (@DPCIreland) May 28, 2019
Ms Dixon said she welcomed the Government’s decision to reappointment as Commissioner for a second term.
"At this early but critical juncture of GDPR implementation and enforcement, continuity is important to drive clarity for organisations around the standards they must meet in order to effectively safeguard the data protection rights of service users, consumers and citizens," Ms Dixon said.
"It is a privilege to serve in this role and to work with the dedicated staff of the Data Protection Commission.
"Our fellow EU data protection authorities count on us to effectively supervise the large internet platforms headquartered in Ireland and we are committed to this task."
