Courts / Louth / Report
Facebook in 'wholesale breach of privacy rights', lawyers in Islamic State trial say
Summary
In a Special Criminal Court hearing, lawyers for Lisa Smith, aged 40 from Dundalk, argue that Facebook's indefinite storage of private messages constitutes a wholesale breach of privacy rights. Michael O'Higgins SC objects to the admissibility of messages exchanged between Smith and known Islamist terrorists in Australia and Syria dating back to 2012. He contends that the court must protect individuals' rights against a corporation that records every utterance. The case involves messages initially seized by Gardaí from American authorities investigating John Georgelas, a known associate of Smith who was wanted in the US for terrorism charges and is presumed dead in Syria. Gardaí later obtained a warrant to access the same messages from Facebook's Dublin head office. Smith has pleaded not guilty to membership in the Islamic State between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, and to financing terrorism by sending €800 via Western Union on 6 May 2015.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Facebook in 'wholesale breach of privacy rights', lawyers in Islamic State trial say. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019; financing terrorism by sending €800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 28th, 2015 Other
- December 1st, 2019 Other
- May 6th, 2015 Other
- December 2019 Incident
- 2022-03-02 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019; financing terrorism by sending €800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Defendant
Charges: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019; financing terrorism by sending €800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
Topics
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