New Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner announced
03/11/2025 | UK Government
Professor William Webster has been appointed as the new Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner for a two-year term, commencing 1 November 2025. The position had been vacant since August 2024.
Currently a Professor of Public Policy and Management at the University of Stirling and Director of the Centre for Research into Information Surveillance and Privacy, Professor Webster brings over 25 years of academic experience in surveillance governance. His statutory functions include overseeing police retention, use, and destruction of DNA samples and fingerprints in England and Wales, and promoting compliance with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice. Professor Webster stated that the office will play an increasingly important role in safeguarding citizens' rights amid developments in biometrics and artificial intelligence (AI).
What is this page?
You are reading a summary article on the Privacy Newsfeed, a free resource for DPOs and other professionals with privacy or data protection responsibilities helping them stay informed of industry news all in one place. The information here is a brief snippet relating to a single piece of original content or several articles about a common topic or thread. The main contributor is listed in the top left-hand corner, just beneath the article title.
The Privacy Newsfeed monitors over 300 global publications, of which more than 6,250 summary articles have been posted to the online archive dating back to the beginning of 2020. A weekly roundup is available by email every Friday.