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Ireland's data cops: Yes, we probed LinkedIn. Don't ask what we found

Was career-climbers' website naughty? Did it get a slap? NOBODY knows

Ireland’s data protection authorities will not publish the results of an audit they carried out on digital CV site LinkedIn.

Ciara O'Sullivan, spokeswoman for the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, said that the watchdog “owes a duty of confidentiality to organisations it investigates”.

She added that it was up to the organisation itself to decide whether or not to make the content of the audit public.

“Clearly, breaches and data protection issues from time to time come into the public domain via other sources and the DPC may on this basis confirm the existence of, for example, an investigation or a breach notification,” she added.

The Facebook-for-career-climbers confirmed that it had received a number of recommendations from Ireland’s data protection watchdog and said it had worked closely with the IDPC “to ensure thoroughness”.

“The IPDC has made a number of best practice recommendations, many of which we have already implemented as part of ongoing product development and some of which we plan on implementing in the future. Other recommendations remain under consideration,” said LinkedIn in an official statement.

In 2012 LinkedIn suffered a major security breach, jeopardizing the passwords of 6.5 million people. In 2013 the Irish DPA started its investigation; its culmination last month was “a raft of significant recommendations”, according to the commissioner’s office.

LinkedIn says it is continuing to work with the Irish DPC on ways to improve its privacy policy. The company, which employs 600 people in Ireland, recently bought a 200,000 square foot site for its new offices in Dublin. Construction is due to start in May next year and is expected to be finished by the beginning of 2017.

The Irish data protection authorities are also due to get a new office in Dublin, but for now remain in their comically small HQ in County Laois. ®

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