by Sunny Hundal

Tory-run Barnet Council made a complaint against a local blogger that, if set as precedent, could criminalise the work of citizen journalist/bloggers across the country.

The council has already been criticised in the past for trying to restrict local bloggers from reporting on its activities.

It recently went a step further by reporting a blogger critical of its activities to the Information Commissioner, arguing it had to register as a Data Controller in order to carry on monitoring its activities.

Derek Dishman writes at the Mr Mustard blog on issues relating to Barnet Council.

He regularly makes FOI requests and recently discovered the council had appointed ‘change and innovation manager’, Jonathan Tunde-Wright, for around £50,000 a year. The job description included phrases like “delivery of system thinking interventions”, was ridiculed here.

As a result the Council complained to the Information Commissioner that he had broken the law (worth a £5000 fine) because he had “processed personal data unfairly” and had no protection under the Data Protection Act.

The Information Commissioner rejected that. So Barnet Council came up with another wheeze

Journalist David Hencke, who uncovered the story, explains what happened next:

Initially rebuffed the council then came up with an extraordinary description of what Mr Dishman was allowed to blog without being forced to register or be prosecuted for unfairly processing data. According to Barnet the only things bloggers can write about is their own personal data, their own family defined as people related by blood or marriage and their own household, anybody living in their house or flat. Everything else requires registration and can be subject to legal challenge.

Imagine that! Such a restriction would put this blog out of business.

Thankfully, the Information Commissioner rejected that definition by Barnet Council too.

David Hencke adds:

If Barnet had succeeded it would have had enormous implications and costs for bloggers across the country. As Conservatives who are committed to transparency, the council should know better. They need to put up and shut up!

Barnet Council did not respond to him for any requests for a comment. So much for Conservative dedication to transparency… and not wasting money!