This episode is a fascinating and deeply human conversation with one of the most thoughtful voices in the world of privacy and information governance. Emma Martins served as Data Protection Commissioner for the Bailiwick of Guernsey for over a decade.

In our conversation, Emma reminds us that data protection is about far more than compliance checklists, privacy notices, or subject access requests. At its core, data protection is about people, power, democracy and human dignity.

We explore the historical roots of data protection law, including the lessons Europe learned from surveillance and authoritarianism after World War Two, and why those lessons matter now more than ever in the age of AI, predictive policing, algorithmic bias and mass data collection.

Emma also shares her reflections on:

• The need for data protection professionals need to reconnect with their “why”
• The importance of diversity, curiosity, and collaboration in the IG profession
• And how we can all move from being seen as blockers to becoming trusted cultural leaders inside our organisations

This is not a conversation about technology or the minutiae of data protection law; it’s a conversation about humanity and why we are here as data protection professionals.

Be sure to check out below, Emma’s recommendations for books and films about data protection and privacy.

Emma’s Watch List

• Can’t Look Away
• The Social Dilemma
• Citizen Four
• Terms and Conditions May Apply
• The Great Hack
• The Circle
• Ex Machina
• Coded Bias
• Mr Bates vs The Post Office
• The Social Network
• Minority Report
• Capture - BBC

Books

• The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - S Zuboff
• Nothing to Hide - D Solove
• Beyond Data - E Renieris
• Your Face Belongs to Us - K Hill
• More than a Glitch - M Broussard
• You are Not a Gadget - J Lanier
• The Political Philosophy of AI - M Coecklebergh
• Technology is Not Neutral - S Hare
• Data Ethics of Power - G Hasselbach
• Logging Off - A Zeynap Walton
• Unmasking AI - J Buolamwini
• Privacy is Power - C Veliz
• Human Rights, Robot Wrongs - S Alegre

This podcast is sponsored by Phaselaw - a purpose-built solution for document disclosures, like subject access requests and FOI requests. Instead of redacting PDFs one by one, or forcing litigation software to do a job it wasn't designed for, with Phaselaw you get collection, review, and redaction in one workflow. Teams across the World are using it to cut response times from weeks to days.

For Guardians of Data listeners, Phaselaw is offering a two-month free trial; run it on live requests, see what it does to your backlog, decide from there. No card, no commitment.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) is an essential tool for the journalist seeking to hold public institutions to account. But for those handling FOI requests from journalists, the challenge is to balance minimising the resource burden on the organisation with maintaining openness and transparency. This requires a good understanding of the journalist’s motivation, tactics and pressures.

In this episode we are joined by Martin Rosenbaum. Martin spent 16 years at the BBC as the organisation’s leading specialist in using FOI for journalism. He is the author of Freedom of Information: A Practical Guidebook - a comprehensive, hands-on guide that explains the law, the process, and the tactics for using FOI effectively.

We talk about:

• How journalists use FOI to uncover the truth and inform the public
• The tactics that make the difference between a successful request and a dead end
• How FOI has evolved since its introduction
• And what information professionals can learn from the media’s use of this powerful tool

If you like this podcast, please listen to Episode 3 where Maurice Frenkel of the Campaign for Freedom of Information (CFOI) reflects on 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act.

Useful Links

Phaselaw

Martin’s Blog

Freedom of Information: A Practical Guidebook

Act Now FOI Blogs

This podcast is sponsored by Phaselaw - a purpose-built solution for document disclosures, like subject access requests and FOI requests. Instead of redacting PDFs one by one, or forcing litigation software to do a job it wasn't designed for, with Phaselaw you get collection, review, and redaction in one workflow. Teams across the World are using it to cut response times from weeks to days.

For Guardians of Data listeners, Phaselaw is offering a two-month free trial; run it on live requests, see what it does to your backlog, decide from there. No card, no commitment.

Children today are growing up in a world where almost everything they do leaves a data trail. From the apps they use, to the schools they attend and the healthcare they receive; data is being collected, analysed and increasingly connected and shared. But at what cost?

Recent Government proposals mean that this question is more important than ever. The Schools White Paper and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 have major implications for children’s privacy; from age verification to plans for a “Data Spine” to link information across the public sector.

In this podcast, we analyse the Government’s plans for our children’s data, discuss children’s privacy in the internet age and the role Big Tech is playing in the collection storage and analysis of all our data. We ask if the government is simply trying to do a better job of protecting children or if it is quietly building a surveillance system which will impact all of us.

Ibrahim Hasan is joined by Jen Persson, Director of Defend Digital Me, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for children's privacy and digital rights in UK education and the wider public sector.

Please note that this podcast was recorded on 11th April 2026 when the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 was still a Bill going through the final stages of Parliament. The Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2026.

Useful Links

Phaselaw

Defend Digital Me

No2ID

GeneWatch UK

The Data Justice Lab

Med Confidential

US Teen Social Media Addiction Case

DfE ICO Reprimand

NHS Palantir Deal

Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil

ADRN Ipsos Mori(2014). Dialogue on data: Exploring the public's views on using administrative data for research purposes

Evaluation report of the children missing education database pilot (Wales) 2025-26

This podcast is sponsored by Phaselaw - a purpose-built solution for document disclosures, like subject access requests and FOI requests. Instead of redacting PDFs one by one, or forcing litigation software to do a job it wasn't designed for, with Phaselaw you get collection, review, and redaction in one workflow. Teams across the World are using it to cut response times from weeks to days.

For Guardians of Data listeners, Phaselaw is offering a two-month free trial; run it on live requests, see what it does to your backlog, decide from there. No card, no commitment.