After a gap of over a year the government has appointed a new Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner (BSCC), Professor William Webster, who started in the role at the beginning of November.
The new Commissioner was appointed following an open competition and in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. The role had been vacant since August 2024, with Francesca Whitelaw KC serving as Interim Biometrics Commissioner since 1 July 2025.
Professor Webster is Professor of Public Policy and Management at the University of Stirling, and Director of the Centre for Research into Information Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP) but is stepping back from academic life during the two-year appointment.
As part of his role, the BSCC promotes compliance with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which was originally published in 2014, and updated in 2022. This Code is made up of 12 Guiding Principles and is binding on “relevant authorities” which includes law enforcement authorities, such as the police and local councils.
Previous holders of the Commissioner role encouraged voluntary adherence to the Code within the private sector and parts of the Code became legal requirements for all under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018.
In an email to members and supporters, the CCTV User Group stated it had already contacted Professor Webster. The organisation, which represents all public space surveillance camera managers, supervisors and operators, has offered support to the new BSCC for any work streams where he may need its assistance.
Professor Webster has over 25 years of academic experience researching the governance of surveillance, with specific expertise in the regulation and provision of surveillance cameras, surveillance ethics, oversight mechanisms and digital government. He was co-author of a CRISP report, commissioned by the Office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, that criticised the previous government’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. If passed, this law would have scrapped the role of the BSCC and the requirement for the government to publish a Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.
The current Labour government’s Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 recently received Royal Assent and was a less radical piece of legislation. The Act amended, but did not replace, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the DPA, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
Commenting on his new role, Professor Webster said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the next Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner. Developments in new technology, around for example biometrics and artificial technology, mean that this office will play an increasingly important role in safeguarding the rights of citizens whilst contributing to keeping the UK safe and secure.
“My focus will be to oversee police applications to retain biometric material and the evolution of, and adherence to, the Home Secretary’s Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.”
As an NSI-Gold-certified company we believe in meeting the highest standards of compliance we can and helping customers do the same when we install a surveillance camera system for them. The Code can provide a framework for data protection compliance and we can support customers to adhere to requirements that apply to them. Please get in touch if you want to know more.