Today is the launch of eircode, Ireland’s new postcode system. From a technology and privacy perspective, there are potentially numerous benefits to adopting such a system in Ireland. A postcode should ensure that private mail gets delivered to where it should be delivered, not to the home of a similarly named relative and not to a house with a similar address a few miles up the road. It should also allow streamlining of logistics and service delivery, allowing immediate benefits for ordinary people. However, this is not what has been delivered to Ireland’s postal customers. Ireland’s postcode departs from all the international best practice and as a result, brings with it significant issues including privacy and data protection concerns. Eircode and Privacy In relation to privacy, the biggest risk we see is the randomness of the code and the fact that neighbouring houses have completely different codes. Let’s compare the practical situation in the UK…
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