Category: Uncategorised

Last June, I applied to become a Non-Executive Member of the new Information Commission; there were seven places up for grabs.  My application has been turned down without an interview – so clearly I am NBG as far as HMG is concerned. I knew that my application was unlikely to be successful, but just in case I made the cut, my application was based on the following observations made in my application: The Open Rights Group letter Anyway, I thought

Idly browsing through the National Security (Information Tribunal) web-site (as one does when one has spare time to kill), I noticed that a new appeal involving Privacy International (PI) has been posted.  Evidently the privacy pressure group was raising questions about the National Security Certificate that allows for the real-time transmission of ANPR images of cars entering London’s Congestion Charge to the national security agencies. PI’s appeal fell at the first hurdle because it was an organisation and not a

Dr. Ann Cavoukian, the Information and Privacy for Commissioner for Ontario, has been championing the cause of Privacy by Design concepts for years. I can remember an International Commissioner’s conference over a decade ago where she presented her paper on Privacy Enhancing Technologies showing that there were technical solutions to real data protection problems. Now she has published two new documents: the first sets out seven principles for Privacy by Design; the second sets out the possibility of using of

Hawktalk’s own informants and spies have managed to glean significant intelligence about the discussions at the first General Regulatory Chamber (GRC) Conference held recently at Warwick University.  No, this wasn’t a meeting of a Grand Masonic Lodge but rather an event that will be of significance to all DP and FOI practitioners, the latter being most affected. The reason: there is the prospect of a further appeal beyond the decisions made by a new Information Tribunal where that appeal does

Justin Langer, the veteran Australian batsmen, in a farewell interview published in the Sunday Times yesterday mentioned the fact that “Our assistant coach gives us a thick dossier on every opposition side…. This happens every day in county cricket nowadays, let alone international cricket”. Justin Langer also told the paper that he himself had added to one Aussie dossier, referring to James Anderson, England’s opening bowler as “pussy” (whatever that means). Of course private dossiers of personal information held by

If the press response is anything to go by, the policy paper “Revising the rise of the Surveillance Society”, published by the Conservative Party yesterday, promises much in relation to enhanced privacy. Indeed, there is much to be welcomed. However, if you apply the principles underpinning “Nine principles for assessing whether privacy is protected in a surveillance society” (a download section of the main Amberhawk web-site), you will soon find significant gaps. For example, the policy paper’s commitment to Parliamentary