The Irish data protection commission (DPC) has ordered the Irish government to delete 3.2 million citizens' personal data, after ruling the national ID scheme as unlawful. According to the Irish Times, in a highly critical report on its investigation into the card, the privacy authority found there was no legal reason to make individuals obtain the card in order to access State services. The commission's report represents a major blow to the scope of the project, which has faced strong opposition from digital rights campaigners. According to the Register, the DPC stated that in practical terms, a person's capacity to access public services both offline and online is now contingent, in an ever-increasing range of contexts, on obtaining and producing a Public Services Card.