Irish DPC welcomes court conviction of Brown Thomas for ePrivacy breaches

What happened

The Dublin Metropolitan District Court convicted Brown Thomas Arnotts Limited on 7 September 2026 for multiple breaches of Regulation 13 of the ePrivacy Regulations. The company pleaded guilty to five sample charges, including failures to provide a valid opt‑out address and sending marketing without valid consent. The court ordered the company to pay €1,000 to a local charity and €1,000 towards DPC legal fees.

Penalty

ordered Brown Thomas Arnotts Limited to pay a charitable donation of €1000 to local charity Little Flower Penny Dinners and €1000 towards the legal fees of the DPC

Why it matters for trust and compliance

• Its status is decided. The case has an outcome that others may cite.
• The enforcement action underscores the consequences of non‑compliance with ePrivacy rules for electronic marketing in Ireland.
• Penalty: ordered Brown Thomas Arnotts Limited to pay a charitable donation of €1000 to local charity Little Flower Penny Dinners and €1000 towards the legal fees of the DPC.
• It relates to ePrivacy Directive. The regulations library explains what that law requires.

Who is affected

Recommended actions

1. Review consent, cookie and tracking practices against the requirement.
2. Confirm access, correction, deletion and opt-out requests are handled within the required time.