New report on the 'Surveillance Society'

The Information Commissioner has expressed concern over the lack of scrutiny of new laws affecting privacy.

In a report presented to Parliament the Information Commissioner called for post-legislative scrutiny by government departments to ensure "the successful delivery of the new transparency and privacy agenda".  The report was presented to the Home Affairs Committee in response to the committee's report "A Surveillance Society?" (HC 58-1) which recommended that the Information Commissioner produce a report to Parliament on the state of surveillance.

The report includes research findings by the Surveillance Studies Network, a group of academics, which update the same group's 2006 Report on the Surveillance Society.  In his press release announcing his report to Parliament the Information Commissioner highlighted his concern about the use of CCTV to monitor parents in school catchment area disputes, an issue dealt with by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in its ruling in Paton v Poole Borough Council.

See further Chapter 7 of the Privacy Law Handbook