Sword or shield?The role of a Regulator.

Mark HummerstonAssistant Privacy Commissioner

ХРАНИТЪ ВЕЧНО“The shield to

defend the revolution,

the sword to smite its foes.”

Комит́ет Госуд́арственной Безоп́асности

The KGB – the Committee for State Security

– knew what is was about.

The sword and the shield - defending the revolution and smiting foes.

Is that what we expect of our Regulators?

The Complainant’s view:

The Respondent’s view:

The Advocate’s view:

The role of a Regulator:The knight in shining armour? (Defending complainants)

The child-eating ogre?(Smiting respondents)

The toasted marshmallow?(Neither sword nor shield)

The role of a Regulator:Inevitably, these perceived roles can be inconflict – a source of confusion or even angst for complainants, respondents and advocatesalike!

The role of a Regulator:Perhaps an example will assist:

The “layered” form

or Full and complete information

The role of a Regulator:I’m not suggesting one approach is right and the other wrong.

It’s about balance!

The role of a Regulator:Private Sector Provisions

NPP Complaints Received by Issue Type(1 July 2005 - 30 June 2006)

Collection, 19%

Quality, 13%

Security, 8%

Access, 17%Other, 2%

Use or Disclosure, 35%

Direct Marketing, 4%

The role of a Regulator:Drudge Retort: Red Meat for Yellow DogsParody of Matt Drudge's site that puts the

yellow back in journalism.www.drudge.com/ - 1 Jul 2007 - Similar pages

The role of a Regulator:

Déjà vu:(2007)

The Information Exchange Club:(1992)

The role of a Regulator:

The role of a Regulator:

The role of a Regulator:

The role of a Regulator:

Good corporate governance:• Respecting and protecting privacy is a key

element of good corporate governance.• Being honest about mistakes or failures

demonstrates integrity, as does genuine commitment to correcting those failures.

• Ethical agencies will treat privacy as important.

• “This is the way we do business” – organisational commitment, not rhetoric.