Elizabeth Denham
Elizabeth Denham CBE, LL.D. | |
|---|---|
 Elizabeth Denham | |
| Fifth Information Commissioner | |
| In office 18 July 2016[1][2] – 30 November 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Christopher Graham |
| Succeeded by | John Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Residence | England |
| Alma mater | University of British Columbia |
Elizabeth Denham CBE, LL. D. (hon.) was the UK Information Commissioner at the Information Commissioner's Office in Cheshire from July 2016, taking over the role from Christopher Graham, until November 2021. Denham previously held the title of Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, having been appointed to that role in May 2010. Prior to this she had been the Assistant Privacy Commissioner of Canada from 2007.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Denham studied at the University of British Columbia from 1977 to 1984 and holds a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in archival studies from the university's iSchool (Library, Archival and Information Studies).[4]
Career
[edit]During her time as Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, Denham called for the proactive disclosure of records[5] and published best practices for government ministries and public bodies.[6] She also co-authored a guidance document called Getting Accountability Right with a Privacy Management Program.
Denham was appointed UK Information Commissioner in July 2016. She and her office deal with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation, the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 across the UK; and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and, to a limited extent, in Scotland.
At the Information Commissioner's Office, she welcomed the introduction of the data protection laws that came into effect in May 2018, and focused on the role data protection must play in innovation, and the importance of organisations understanding the growing onus on companies to be accountable for what they do with personal data. She also called for the Freedom of Information Act to be extended to private bodies doing work on behalf of the public, and proposed a review of legislation around the duty to document information.
Denham has undertaken investigations into Equifax, WhatsApp, TalkTalk, Uber and Facebook, and oversaw the conclusion of the investigation of the Information Commissioner's Office into charities' fundraising activities. She issued a series of fines for companies behind nuisance marketing, and in December 2018 she welcomed the new law that enabled the Information Commissioner's Office to hold company bosses directly responsible and to fine them personally for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.
In May 2017, Denham decided to look into potential unlawful marketing involving repurposing of data during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[7] When Denham produced her final report in November 2020, she announced that she had "found no further evidence to change [her] earlier view that SCL Group and Cambridge Analytica were not involved in the EU referendum campaign in the UK."[8] She also said she found no evidence of Russian involvement in the referendum.[9]
She launched the inaugural Data Protection Practitioner Award for Excellence in Data Protection at the 11th annual Information Commissioner's Office conference.
In January 2022, Denham started working at the London offices of global law firm Baker McKenzie[10] in a move criticised as "extraordinary"[11] in light of the firm having defended Facebook against regulatory action by the Information Commissioner's Office while Denham was in office, and the short timeframe between leaving office and the announcement being made by the firm.
She currently serves on the Advisory Boards or Boards of Director for Pacific Opera in Victoria, Canada;[12] for 5Rights, a charity committed to children’s health and safety;[13] for Oxford University’s Internet Institute;[14] and for the International Association of Privacy Professionals.[15]
Denham has also authored or co-authored a spate of opinions and articles in 2022: including the essay “Citizens first” for the academic journal Information Polity;[16] a call for increasing collaboration among Canada’s digital regulators, posted to the C. D. Howe Institute’s website;[17] and an opinion in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper that argued for coordinated, global efforts to create harmonized, comprehensive legal protections for children’s online safety.[18]
Awards and offices
[edit]In 2011, Denham received the distinguished alumna award from UBC iSchool (Library, Archival and Information Studies) for her work in archives and the field of access and privacy.[19]
In 2013, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her service as an officer of the legislature of British Columbia, Canada.[20]
In 2016, Denham was awarded the Grace-Pépin Access to Information Award for having been "a staunch advocate for access to information rights."[21]
In 2018, she was placed first in the DataIQ 100 Top 10.[22]
She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Years Honours for services to protecting information.[23]
In 2020 she was announced as the winner of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT’s Society Medal as a result of her office's investigation into unlawful data collection practices by political campaigns. [24]
Denham served as Chair of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, later the Global Privacy Assembly, from 2018 until 2021.[25][26]
Denham received an honorary doctorate of laws in 2022 from the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, for recognition of her international contributions to privacy and access over decades.[27]
References
[edit]- ^ "Elizabeth Denham to Start as New Information Commissioner" (Press release). Information Commissioner's Office. 15 July 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ "UK's New Information Commissioner Formally Appointed" (Press release). Government of the United Kingdom. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ "Elizabeth Denham; Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, Canada" (PDF). The Canadian Bar Association. 3–5 October 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ https://pacc-ccap.ca/congress/speakers-2/elizabeth-denham-2/[permanent dead link]
- ^ Palmer, Vaughn (22 March 2016). "B.C. Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham Moving on to Bigger Things". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Guide to OIPC Processes". Office of the Information and Privacy Commission for British Columbia, (OIPC). Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ Booth, Robert (17 May 2017). "ICO to audit data protection practices at Leave.EU and Eldon Insurance after fining both companies for unlawful marketing messages". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ Glancy, Josh (11 October 2020). "The Brexit data chancers fooled left and right alike". The Times. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ Kaminska, Izabella (8 October 2020). "ICO's final report into Cambridge Analytica invites regulatory questions". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ "Baker McKenzie Welcomes UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham to Global Data & Technology Team". Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Manancourt, Vincent (5 December 2021). "UK urged to review lobbying rules after former privacy chief joins law firm". Politico. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ ""Elizabeth Denham"". pacificopera.ca. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ ""Former UK Information Commissioner joins 5Rights Foundation Board"". 5rightsfoundation.com. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ ""Elizabeth Denham: Advisory Board Member"". www.oii.ox.ac.uk. October 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ ""Board of Directors"". iapp.org. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "Information Polity: Volume 27, issue 3". dl.acm.org. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ ""Canada Needs Coherent Digital Regulation"". cdhowe.org. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ ""As lawmakers consider how to keep children safe online, they should look to Britain and California"". theglobeandmail.com. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "Distinguished Alumni Award". UBC iSchool (Library, Archival and Information Studies). Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ "Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner". ico.org.uk. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Winner of the 2016 Grace-Pépin Access to Information Award". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham takes number one slot in DataIQ 100". DataIQ. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ "Queens List 31 December 2018" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "BCS press release December 2020".
- ^ "Executive Committee". ICDPPC. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ "Highlights from the Global Privacy Assembly Closed Session 2021". Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "Fall 2022 Honorary Degree Recipients". uvic.ca. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
