News Summary

• Europe gave itself the right to bring class actions against big companies five years ago.
• Ireland hosts the European headquarters of most large technology firms.
• But campaigners there have managed only one case in five years.
• Irish law bars anyone from funding a case unless they take part in it directly or hold a legitimate interest.
• The EU’s Representative Actions Directive, agreed in 2020, lets consumers across the bloc bring collective cases.
• Only qualified non-profit entities can bring a representative action.
• Non-profits do not have the money to sue Meta or Google on their own.
• They rely on outside funding, which is the thing Ireland prohibits.