UK information commissioner steps back amid workplace investigation

The UK’s information commissioner has stepped back from his job after the data protection regulator launched an independent workplace investigation into unspecified “HR matters”.John Edwards, the national watchdog for information rights, data privacy and transparency among public bodies, said he was cooperating with the investigation in a post on his LinkedIn account.No details about the matter under scrutiny have been released but the investigation appears to have been under way for two months. He voluntarily stepped back from his duties on 26 February, a spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office said. A few days earlier he had been representing the regulator at an AI summit in Delhi attended by senior politicians and tech leaders from around the world.Edwards was appointed to the £200,000-a-year role in January 2022. The ICO has a wide remit to regulate everything from the way political parties use personal data in campaigning to the way websites check the age of users to avoid harm to children. Edwards is a specialist in information law and was previously New Zealand’s privacy commissioner.In February the ICO fined Reddit £14.5m for failings including not providing robust enough age checks for children and the same month it launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s Grok AI following reports it had been used to generate non‑consensual sexual imagery of individuals, including women and children.It also regulates the use of personal information by campaigning political parties, the use of AI systems to automate decision-making in job selection processes, the police use of facial-recognition technology, and nuisance calls.Edwards’ decision to step back was “to enable an independent workplace investigation which relates to him”, the ICO said. “This investigation will produce a report with recommendations for DSIT [the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology] to decide next steps. To protect all parties involved and maintain the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to provide further details at this stage. The board, chief executive Paul Arnold and [the] executive team continue to lead the ICO, aligned to the scheme of delegation, to ensure continuity in our leadership and regulatory work.”On Saturday Edwards posted a message to “colleagues and friends” on LinkedIn: “I wanted to let you know that for the last few weeks I have voluntarily stepped aside from my duties at the ICO while an independent investigation into HR matters is undertaken. I am fully cooperating and engaged with the investigation and will report progress in due course.”