Ireland is Google’s EU headquarters, which makes the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) Google’s lead regulator in Europe — the most direct complaint route on the continent. Small-claims money is capped low (€2,000), so the power here is the free complaint and the EU-wide compensation route. Start free.
Get the free complaint starterSee what’s insideTaking on Google in Ireland
Because Google’s EU establishment is in Dublin, an Irish resident complains to the home regulator of the actual data controller — uniquely direct. The €2,000 small-claims cap means most money claims move to higher courts, so lead with the DPC complaint and, for compensation, the European Small Claims Procedure (a lawyer-free, cross-border claim up to €5,000 against Google Ireland, valid across the EU). Article 82 gives you a right to compensation, and the EU’s top court confirmed in 2025 there’s no minimum “seriousness” threshold.
The moves that work
- Article 15 access request — get everything Google holds on you (free).
- DPC complaint — free, no lawyer; Google’s lead EU regulator.
- Erasure / right to be forgotten — remove data and search results.
- Article 82 compensation — via the European Small Claims Procedure (≤€5,000).
Free: your access request (copy & send)
To: Google Ireland Ltd, Data Protection Office
I make this request under Article 15 of the GDPR. Please provide, within one month, a copy of all personal data you hold about me, the purposes, recipients, retention periods, the source of any data not collected from me, and details of any automated decision-making. My account: [email/ID]. I enclose [ID verification].
[Name] · [Date]
What’s in the full Ireland kit
- Article 15 access request + DPC complaint pack
- European Small Claims Procedure walkthrough (Form A) — the ≤€5,000 cross-border route
- Erasure / right-to-be-forgotten templates
- Article 82 Letter Before Claim
- Evidence & timeline builder
Get the complete kit — free
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Educational information only — not legal advice. Not a firm of solicitors; no solicitor-client relationship is created. EU/Irish data-protection and court rules change; confirm the current rules for your situation.