John Edwards, who spent the past eight years as a New Zealand Privacy Commissioner and before that as a barrister, will be taking over his new role as UK Information Commissioner on a five year term.
He is replacing Elizabeth Denham CBE, whose term as UK Information Commissioner ended last year.
Edwards said that privacy is a right and 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 job is to work with those to whom we trust our data so that they can respect our privacy with ease while still reaping the benefits of data-driven innovation. I want to make it easy for people to access remedies if things go wrong, and to empower people to understand and influence how they want their data to be used.
I know from experience that the team at the ICO are dedicated to privacy and information rights, and to supporting organisations and consumers alike. I will continue to promote the ICO because it has an international reputation for forward thinking and clear assessment of the practicalities of the law. I know the active data protection community in the UK, and I look forward to hearing the experiences of businesses, the public sector, civil society and the privacy community.
I am very happy to be able to oversee the Freedom of Information Act. Transparency that helps people understand and trust decisions on their behalf has never been as relevant as in the past two years. I look forward to making sure the law continues to be relevant in our changing world. Edwards' appointment comes at the beginning of a busy year for information rights in the UK. The ICO will be involved with the government over the proposed reforms to the Data Protection Act and the introduction of the Online Safety Bill, as well as strengthening links with other digital regulators. The ICO will continue to prioritize its work to protect children online, through the Age Appropriate Design Code, which has already prompted international tech companies to make changes to respect children's rights online.