NEWS – “without comment”
Recruitment launched for new £200k information commissioner
by Sam Trendall
02 March 2021
Appointee will replace Elizabeth Denham and will lead the data-protection watchdog through a ‘dynamic period of change’
The government has kicked off the process of recruiting a new information commissioner, with a salary of £200,000 a year on offer for the successful candidate.
The appointee will replace Elizabeth Denham, whose five-year term was due to conclude this summer, but has been extended to the end of October to allow sufficient time for her replacement to be hired.
Whoever succeeds Denham will be responsible for leading the Information Commissioner’s Office – the UK’s data-protection regulator. The organisation is responsible for enforcing legislation such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation, and its UK analogue the Data Protection Act.
Since these tougher laws were introduced in 2018, the ICO has wielded its powers to issue respective fines of £20m and £18.4m for data breaches at British Airways and hotel chain Marriott. However, these figures were greatly reduced from the originally intended penalties of £183m and £99m.
The regulator is also responsible for overseeing the Freedom of Information act and ensuring public bodies comply their transparency obligations under the legislation.
Full Article: https://www.publictechnology.net/articles/news/recruitment-launched-new-%C2%A3200k-information-commissioner