Let’s hammer it out: Does Ireland need an Internet Policy Forum?

26 Oct 2017

Image: Petrunine World Studio/Shutterstock

What must Ireland do to protect its digital crown as US multinationals and local SMEs brace themselves for a storm of EU and US regulations and laws?

Ireland is between the hammer and the anvil when it comes to enforcing EU laws and providing a stable environment for US internet giants.

That’s the view of the chief executive of the IE Domain Registry (IEDR), David Curtin, who has called for the establishment of an Internet Policy Forum for businesses of all sizes, to debate the implications of internet regulations and enforce new laws.

‘Far from just impacting governments and multinationals, thousands of Irish SMEs are compelled to take on extra costs and administrative work as well’
– DAVID CURTIN

“As a member of the EU, Ireland is obligated to enforce far-reaching data and privacy directives, like GDPR and the NIS, that directly impact US companies operating in this country.

“Of course, Ireland is also the European operations base for many of these US companies, which support thousands of jobs and businesses,” Curtin said.

Disproportionate effect of policy on small businesses

Curtin said that the regulatory decisions made by Europe and America therefore directly and disproportionately affect Ireland.

“Far from just impacting governments and multinationals, thousands of Irish SMEs are compelled to take on extra costs and administrative work as well.

“By establishing a national Internet Policy Forum, we can give Ireland’s internet community a platform to discuss and assess the impact of implementation of these regulations, and work together to form recommendations and solutions that can be presented to national and international decision-makers.”

Curtin was speaking on the occasion of Ireland’s third annual Internet Day, which the IEDR will mark by hosting Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales at a public event in Trinity College Dublin tonight (26 October).

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com