Edwards tipped for British job

New Zealand Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has been tipped by The Sunday Times in Britain as the frontrunner to be the head of England’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Edwards would not comment when contacted yesterday but, according to The Sunday Times, had been recommended for the job by Secretary of State for digital, culture, media and sport Oliver Dowden. His appointment was awaiting approval by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The ICO is United Kingdom’s independent body set up to uphold information rights. The potential job came as the British Government is cracking down on big technology firms, of which Edwards has previously been highly critical. Earlier this year, Edwards criticised Facebook and Twitter’s bans on former US President Donald Trump as ’’arbitrary, cynical, unprincipled and further evidence that regulation of social media platforms is urgently required’’. He also lashed out at Facebook, on Twitter, and said it ‘‘cannot be trusted’’ following the 2019 terror attacks in Christchurch which were live-streamed on Facebook.