John Edwards starts his term as UK Information Commissioner
Mr Edwards, who began his five-year term yesterday, previously served as New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner, and before that worked as a barrister.
Edwards said: “Privacy is a right not a privilege. In a world where our personal data can drive everything from the healthcare we receive to the job opportunities we see, we all deserve to have our data treated with respect.”
“My role is to work with those to whom we entrust our data so they are able to respect our privacy with ease whilst still reaping the benefits of data-driven innovation. I also want to empower people to understand and influence how they want their data to be used, and to make it easy for people to access remedies if things go wrong.”
The appointment comes at a time when many changes are expected to the UK data protection legislative framework. The government is currently analysing the responses to its proposed reforms to the Data Protection Act, some of which would also introduce changes to the ICO’s governance model.
The ICO is currently consulting on how it uses its powers to investigate, regulate and enforce. The consultation closes on 24 March 2022.
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