John Edwards took up his five year term as the sixth UK Information Commissioner on 4 January 2022. Prior to this, John served as New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner for eight years, building an international reputation in data protection and privacy including Chairing the now Global Privacy Assembly. He also worked in a range of roles including as a policy advisor to the NZ Government, a solicitor and barrister for over 20 years in the public and private sector, and even had a stint as a mountaineer.

The ICO is a whole economy regulator, and John is focussed on enforcing the Children’s code, a pioneering, world-leading code of practice designed to keep children safe online. He has also spearheaded our work to address harm to communities currently underserved by data protection law, and make playing his role in making Japan’s concept of Data Free Flows with Trust a tangible realitythrough fora like the G7 and OECD.

John’s vision and mission is for the ICO to be a regulator that empowers people to confidentially share information for personal and public benefit and for organisations use information to invest and innovate in the digital economy.

Upcoming priorities include steering the ICO and organisations through implications of the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill and the Online Safety Act, AI and emerging technologies, and transforming our enforcement approach so it is better, quicker and more impactful.

John’s motto: “We spend once, at the centre, prompting savings for thousands of businesses across the economy.”