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The UK information commissioner who resigned over sexual harassment and bullying claims is understood to be taking legal action against a woman who flagged his conduct.
The science and technology secretary, Liz Kendall, said she was “appalled” by the fact that John Edwards was preparing to serve legal papers on one of the “incredibly brave” women at the ICO who raised concerns about his behaviour. Edwards resigned from his post as the UK’s data regulator in June after an independent investigation.
Kendall told the science, innovation and technology select committee on Wednesday she had seen the “vulgar and highly sexualised language that was used in [Edwards’] interactions with his staff”.
She previously said multiple women told the investigator they felt “offended, shocked and uncomfortable” after interactions with Edwards. The chair of the select committee, Chi Onwurah, called it a “very disturbing incident”.
The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator for data protection and information rights with responsibility for policing freedom of information, electronic marketing and data security. It said Edwards’ conduct was “unacceptable” and fell well short of “the safe, respectful working environment” all staff deserve.
Kendall said of the woman Edwards is said to be taking legal action against: “By reporting her concerns, she supported the independent investigation that upheld multiple allegations made against him. And I have reached out, as best I can, and said, they need to know that they will always be listened to without being put at personal risk. Quite frankly, I’m appalled by that behaviour.”
The ICO said it could not comment for legal reasons.
Kendall also announced an independent review into the culture, accountability and governance of the ICO and said she would soon announce a majority-women board of non-executive directors. She said she was “extremely concerned that [Edwards] continues to describe these incidents as misplaced humour, including on his social media post announcing his resignation.”
Edwards said on LinkedIn that he “accepted that there have been occasions where I exercised poor judgement and made attempts at humour that were inappropriate and caused offence.” Announcing his resignation, the ICO said: “We do not accept sexual harassment, bullying or discrimination in any form.” Edwards was approached for comment.
Meanwhile, Kendall said she will next week announce details of social media curfews for ۱۶- and ۱۷-year-olds starting at midnight and ending at ۶am which are expected to come into force in early ۲۰۲۷, after the wider social media ban for under-۱۶s. The measures are expected to require social media companies to have the curfews on by default for users they understand to be ۱۶ or ۱۷.
Further measures aimed at protecting children from the harms of social media could also include a requirement for companies to set breaks in infinite scrolling mechanisms as a default on apps for ۱۶- and ۱۷-year-olds.
Kendall conceded that some children will circumvent government measures to restrict social media. “There will be kids on those sites,” she said. “We know from Australia, when they brought a ban in, the kids will try and get round it and succeed … For me, it is probably even more about future generations that we’re putting the ban in place to change social norms and cultural expectations.”
Kendall also predicted that the next big issue for the government, possibly under an Andy Burnham administration, will be tackling disinformation on social media and messaging services, exemplified the spread of online disinformation about the knife attack in Belfast that triggered violence and anti-immigration protests.
She said she asked the Ofcom chair, Ian Cheshire, to conduct an urgent review of the media regulator’s “capabilities, experience, skill, priorities, focus, to see whether what they have in place is fit for purpose”. She said Ofcom would report back in the autumn.
