John Edwards, Britain's Information Commissioner, announced his formal resignation on Friday after voluntarily stepping back from his duties in February amid a workplace investigation into unspecified conduct.

Writing on LinkedIn, Edwards said that while he has not agreed with how the investigation into him has been conducted, he has come to accept that his position “has become untenable.”

“From the time the investigation was launched, I have accepted that there have been occasions where I exercised poor judgement and made attempts at humour that were inappropriate and caused offence,” he wrote.

“It is for this reason that I have decided that it is appropriate that I resign from my position.”

He said he had notified Ian Murray, the minister for digital, government and data, of his resignation as Information Commissioner and as Chair of the Information Commission, effective immediately, adding that he did not wish to be “a distraction to the ICO's important work.”

Edwards, a New Zealand lawyer who served as that country’s Privacy Commissioner from 2014 to 2021 before being appointed to the U.K. role, took up the post in January 2022. 

He had continued to draw his £200,000 annual salary while withdrawn from his duties, despite moving back to New Zealand, as reported by Politico.

Because the Information Commissioner is a statutory role accountable directly to Parliament, Edwards’ decision to step aside in February left his statutory functions without their designated holder, forcing the regulator into temporary governance arrangements.

His deputy, chief executive Paul Arnold, took on those responsibilities and was designated temporary acting accounting officer for the office. Edwards agreed to step back from all contact with ICO staff and not to enter its offices while the investigation proceeded.

As the commissioner is accountable to Parliament rather than employed by the ICO, the next steps — including the search for a successor — will be determined by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Edwards’ departure comes at a transitional moment for the regulator, which is set to be replaced by an Information Commission in the future, with its functions, staff and ongoing matters transferring to the new corporate structure.

Edwards would have become the chair of the Information Commission’s board. It is understood that the investigation into him contributed to the transition stalling.

The delayed reforms come as the numbers of regulatory investigations launched by the ICO have dwindled, from more than 2,000 in 2019 — the first year for which data is available — to just over 200 in 2025. More than 3,000 potential cases have not yet been assigned, including 133 dating back to 2023.