John Edwards Named UK’s Information Commissioner

British MPs have approved New Zealander John Edwards as next Information Commissioner for the UK, Jamie Harris reports for the Evening Standard.

Edwards faced questions from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee early in September, after being selected by the Government as its preferred candidate for the job.

Committee chair Julian Knight MP said Edwards “clearly understands the challenges facing the UK”.

“His experience as New Zealand’s privacy commissioner and openness to working with other countries will be valuable in taking a robust approach on areas such as data protection,” Knight said.

Edwards is well-known for his public dislike of Facebook. In the wake of the 2018 Cambridge Analytica data misuse scandal, Edwards publicly announced he was deleting his account with the social media company – accusing the social media giant of not complying with New Zealand’s privacy laws.

Original article by Jamie Harris, Evening Standard, September 11, 2021.