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New Podcast: Learning from a Journalist’s Use of FOI

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 opennesss and transparency. This requires a good understanding of journalists’ motivation, tactics and pressures.

In the latest episode of the Guardians of Data podcast we are joined by Martin Rosenbaum. Martin spent 16 years at the BBC as the organisation’s leading specialist in using FOI for journalism. Over that time, he broke major stories, trained reporters, and took cases all the way to tribunal hearings. His investigations have covered everything from private conversations between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, to the policing of Greenham Common protests, to the flaws in the honours system.

Martin is also 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.

In this podcast episode, 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

Whether you work in information governance, public service, or the media, or you simply believe in transparency and accountability, this conversation will give you practical insights into how FOI really works and why it still matters today.

Listen on your preferred platform via our podcast page, or download the episode directly.

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.

Head to https://www.phase.law/guardians to claim your free trial.

Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured Tahir Latif talking about responsible AI deployment, Jen Persson, a privacy campaigner, explaining the privacy implications of the Government’s new plans for children’s data, Naomi Mathews and Ibrahim Hasan explaining the law on filming people in public for social media and Olu Odeniyi analysing recent cyber breaches and discussing the lessons learnt.

New Podcast: The Government’s Plans For Our Children’s Data

“I think privacy is often given a bad name. We talk about it in abstract terms; we should abandon thinking about it in that way. What you do to my data, you do to me. There is no real distinction anymore between our online life and our offline life. So whatever you know about me through my digital footprint, you know about my real life.”

Jen Persson, Director of Defend Digital Me

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 initiatives from the UK Government, such as 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 our latest Guardians of Data 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.

Our guest is 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. Jen said:

“Everybody wants to keep children safe… I think the important thing in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools [Act], is that there is so much going through it that is untested and unevidenced. So some of our work has been to analyse that as it went through Parliament. For example, the single unique identifier is only part of the data aspects of the [Act], but it’s very vague and there’s been very little explanation in writing or in Parliament.”

Listen on your preferred platform via our podcast page, or download the episode directly.

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.

Head to https://www.phase.law/guardians to claim your free trial.

Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured Tahir Latif talking about responsible AI deployment, Naomi Mathews and Ibrahim Hasan explaining the law on filming people in public for social media, Maurice Frenkel looking back at 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act and Olu Odeniyi analysing recent cyber breaches and discussing the lessons learnt.

New Podcast: Building Trustworthy and Responsible AI Systems

“Information governance professionals are the bedrock for deploying good governance of AI. We need to be there at the start of the actual thinking process.”

Tahir Latif, Global Practice Lead for Data Privacy & Responsible AI at Cognizant

The last two years has seen a massive increase in AI deployment. Previously the domain of Science Fiction, AI is now everywhere – in our workplaces, our personal lives, and in the systems that shape society. From healthcare to security and law enforcement. But alongside the opportunities, there are some big risks: including lack of accuracy and transparency as well as bias and discrimination.

In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest questions of our time: How do we build trustworthy and responsible AI systems?

To help us answer this question, we are joined by someone who is right at the heart of the conversation. Tahir Latif is a distinguished expert on building responsible and transparent AI systems. He is the Global Practice Lead for Data Privacy & Responsible AI at Cognizant, one of the largest global professional services companies. Tahir has led complex privacy and AI programmes across multiple industry sectors both in the UK and globally. He is also the Chief AI and Governance Officer and board member at the Ethical AI Alliance, a not for profit body which promotes ethical standards in AI development. Tahir is the co-author of Data Privacy – A Practical Handbook on Governance and Operation.

In this conversation, we explore how to cut through the complexity of ethical AI, what the future holds, and most importantly, what practical steps IG professionals can take to succeed in this new landscape.

Listen on your preferred platform via our podcast page, or download the episode directly.

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.

Head to https://www.phase.law/guardians to claim your free trial.

Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured  Naomi Mathews and Ibrahim Hasan explaining the law on filming people in public for social media, Maurice Frenkel looking back at 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act, Olu Odeniyi analysing recent cyber breaches and discussing the lessons to learn and Raz Edwards talking about how to succeed as an IG leader.

New Podcast: Filming the Public for Social Media

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 6 of the Guardians of Data podcast.

Think about the last time you walked down a busy street, sat in a pub, or queued for a train. Now imagine that moment, completely ordinary to you, being filmed by a stranger, uploaded to TikTok or YouTube and watched by millions.
Maybe it’s monetised; maybe it’s mocked. One thing is for sure though, it never disappears.

Filming people in public has now become second nature for some. But what happens when those images are shared, edited and turned into social media content? Can you stop someone filming you in public? What rights do you have when the footage is published?

In this episode, we are joined by Naomi Mathews, a lawyer who specialises in Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Surveillance Law. Naomi helps us explore what the law actually says about filming people in public; where it falls short and how that affects real people who find themselves turned into content without consent. We’ll also ask the harder questions about ethics, power and whether the UK needs a new law to better protect the public.

Download and listen here, or on your preferred podcast app. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured Jon Baines, reflecting on his career as a Data Protection Specialist and the hot issues in information governance,  Lynn Wyeth discussing the recent controversy around Grok AI, Maurice Frenkel looking back at 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act, Olu Odeniyi analysing recent cyber breaches and discussing the lessons to learn and Raz Edwards talking about how to succeed as an IG leader.

New Podcast: How to Succeed as an IG Leader

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 5 of the Guardians of Data podcast.

In information governance, there is no substitute for learning from those who have walked the path before us. Experienced IG leaders bring a wealth of knowledge from years at the frontline of data protection and information rights – navigating challenges, overcoming obstacles and shaping best practice along the way.
By sharing their stories, lessons learned and practical advice, they help both new starters and seasoned professionals grow in confidence, strengthen their practice and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

In this episode we are joined by Raz Edwards, Head of Data Security and Protection at Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Raz has over 17 years of experience as a Data Protection Officer, including more than a decade in the NHS. She is also Chair of the National Strategic Information Governance Network and serves as a member of the Upper Tribunal and First-Tier Tribunal in the Information Rights Jurisdiction.

In our conversation, Raz shares her journey into Information Governance, the challenges she’s faced and overcome as an IG leader, her advice for both new starters and seasoned professionals and her perspective on the future of the profession.
She also reflects on what she’s learned through her tribunal role and what it takes to succeed as an IG leader.

Download and listen here, or on your preferred podcast app. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured Jon Baines, reflecting on his career as a Data Protection Specialist and the hot issues in information governance, Lynn Wyeth discussing the recent controversy around Grok AI, Maurice Frenkel looking back at 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act and Olu Odeniyi analysing recent cyber breaches and discussing the lessons to learn.

New Podcast: Lessons from Cyber Breaches

The topic of this episode is cyber security. Every week we read about organisations being hacked, held to ransom or their data being stolen. The BBC recently discovered, through an FOI request, that around 10 million people had their data stolen when Transport for London (TfL) was hacked in 2024, making it one of the biggest hacks in British history. The so-called Scattered Spider crime group, breached TfL’s internal computer systems, disrupting its online services and causing £39m of damage.

And the breakout of war in the Middle East has significantly increased the risk of cyber-attack. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recently warned that organisations should prepare for the risk of collateral damage from Iran-linked hacktivists. It said those with a presence in the region should consider boosting the monitoring of their IT systems and follow the centre’s guidelines for dealing with a heightened threat of cyber-attacks.

In this podcast we talk about cyber security through the lens of the recent cyberattacks on major UK retailers. In just the past few months, household names like, Jaguar Land Rover, Gucci, Marks & Spencer and Co-op have suffered significant disruption from ransomware attacks and other cyber incidents. These caused empty shelves, disrupted online orders and shook customer trust.

To help us unpack what happened and what lessons we can all take away, we are joined by Olu Odeniyi a Cyber Security expert and trusted advisor with more than 30 years’ experience in this field. In our conversation, we also explore how businesses can build resilience and trust in the face of growing threats, the future of cybersecurity and practical tips for all of us to stay ahead of the hackers. 

Download and listen here, or on your preferred podcast app.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured Jon Baines, talking about his career as a Data Protection specialist and the hot issues in information governance, and Lynn Wyeth discussing the recent controversy around Grok AI and Maurice Frenkel talking about 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act.

Transparency and FOI: 20 Years On

In the past few weeks, we have had a stark reminder of why transparency in public life is a democratic necessity. The US Government’s release of millions of documents linked to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation has triggered, amongst other things, the arrest of the King’s brother, the sacking and subsequent arrest of a former Government minister, political jeopardy for the Prime Minister and questions about the future of the British monarchy.

In Episode 3, our guest is Maurice Frankel OBE, Director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information. We discuss the remarkable story behind the UK’s Freedom of Information Act. From his early work with the campaigner Des Wilson in the 1980s, to the later attacks launched to weaken FOI’s impact, Maurice shares insights on:

• Life before the Act and how public authorities’ culture has evolved

• The key battles to see the law passed and fully implemented

• Lessons from major disclosures, inquiries and data releases

• FOI shortcomings, from excessive public interest extensions to the need for proactive publication

• Emerging threats to transparency

Hear what still inspires one of the UK’s foremost transparency advocates and why FOI remains a vital tool for public accountability.

Listen via this link, or on your preferred podcast app. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

New Podcast: The Grok AI Controversy

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 2 of a new podcast; Guardians of Data. This is a show where we explore the world of information law and information governance – from privacy and AI to cybersecurity and freedom of information. In each episode we will be speaking with experts and practitioners to unpack the big issues shaping the IG profession.

In the first episode, we were joined by Jon Baines, a Senior Data Protection Specialist at Mishcon de Reya LLP and the long-standing chair of NADPO. In a wide ranging conversation, Jon shared his journey into IG, his advice for both new starters and seasoned professionals and his perspective on the future of the profession.

In Episode 2 we discuss the recent controversy around Grok AI.

Grok, the AI chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into the social media platform X, has caught the attention of governments and regulators across the world after it was used to edit pictures of real women to show them in revealing clothes and suggestive poses. In the UK, Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office have opened formal investigations, a significant step that signals how seriously AI-related risks are now being taken.

This controversy raises fundamental questions about how AI systems are designed and overseen and about whether existing laws and board-level oversight are keeping pace. In episode 2, we unpack these issues with the help of Lynn Wyeth, an expert in AI, data protection and responsible technology.

Listen via this link or on your preferred podcast app.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

New Guardians of Data Podcast: In Conversation with Jon Baines

Act Now is pleased to bring you the first episode of a new podcast; Guardians of Data. This is a show where we explore the world of information law and information governance – from privacy and AI to cybersecurity and freedom of information. In each episode we will be speaking with experts and practitioners to unpack the big issues shaping the IG profession.

In information governance, there’s no substitute for learning from those who have walked the path before us. Experienced IG leaders bring a wealth of knowledge from years at the frontline of data protection and information rights – navigating challenges, overcoming obstacles, and shaping best practice along the way. By listening to their stories, we can all grow in confidence and prepare for the IG challenges of tomorrow.

In the first episode, we are joined by one such IG leader: Jon Baines is a Senior Data Protection Specialist at Mishcon de Reya LLP where he advises on complex data protection and FOI matters. Jon isn’t a lawyer in the traditional sense yet is listed in Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” in the Data Protection, Privacy and Cybersecurity category. Jon is the long-standing chair of the National Association of Data Protection (NADPO) and Freedom of Information Officers. He is regularly sought for comment by specialist and national media and writes extensively on data protection matters.

In our conversation, Jon shares his journey into IG, his advice for both new starters and seasoned professionals and his perspective on the future of the profession.

Listen via the player below, or on your preferred podcast app.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Who Guards Our Data? Responsibility, Trust, and the Reality of Data Protection

Data protection is often framed as a question of compliance. Regulations, policies, and frameworks dominate much of the discussion.

In practice, however, the most important questions are about responsibility, trust, and judgement.

Every organisation that collects or uses personal data is, in effect, a custodian of that information. With that role comes an expectation: that personal data will be handled carefully, used appropriately, and respected as something that belongs to people, not systems. Meeting those expectations is rarely straightforward.

Day-to-day data protection decisions are often made under pressure. They involve trade-offs, uncertainty, and situations where the law does not provide a simple or immediate answer. Legislation defines the boundaries, but it does not resolve every ethical or operational question organisations face.

This is where many of the real challenges of data protection sit, in the grey areas between what is permitted and what is appropriate.

Guardians of Data was created to explore this space. The podcast brings together people working in privacy and information governance to talk openly about the realities of responsible data use. Rather than focusing on theory or compliance checklists, the conversations centre on how decisions are made in real organisations, and how trust is maintained when handling personal data.

Each episode is short and focused, examining judgement calls, ethical considerations, and the expectations placed on organisations entrusted with personal data. The aim is not to provide definitive answers, but to encourage thoughtful discussion about what good data stewardship looks like in practice.

Guardians of Data is intended as a space for reflection and conversation for anyone navigating the responsibilities that come with using personal data in today’s digital environment.

Click below to listen to the podcasts.

New Podcast: Learning from a Journalist’s Use of FOI

by actnowtraining Wednesday 27th May 2026Friday 29th May 2026

New Podcast: The Government’s Plans For Our Children’s Data

by actnowtraining Wednesday 13th May 2026Wednesday 13th May 2026

New Podcast: Building Trustworthy and Responsible AI Systems

“Information governance professionals are the bedrock for deploying good governance of AI. We need to be there at the start of the actual thinking process.” Tahir Latif, Global Practice Lead for Data Privacy & Responsible AI at Cognizant The last two years has seen a massive increase in AI deployment. Previously the domain of Science Fiction, AI is now everywhere…

by actnowtraining Wednesday 29th April 2026Thursday 30th April 2026

New Podcast: Filming the Public for Social Media

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 6 of the Guardians of Data podcast. Think about the last time you walked down a busy street, sat in a pub, or queued for a train. Now imagine that moment, completely ordinary to you, being filmed by a stranger, uploaded to TikTok or YouTube and watched by millions. Maybe it’s monetised; maybe it’s mocked. One thing is for sure though,…

by actnowtraining Wednesday 15th April 2026Tuesday 14th April 2026

New Podcast: How to Succeed as an IG Leader

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 5 of the Guardians of Data podcast. In information governance, there is no substitute for learning from those who have walked the path before us. Experienced IG leaders bring a wealth of knowledge from years at the frontline of data protection and information rights – navigating challenges, overcoming obstacles and shaping best practice along the way. By sharing…

by actnowtraining Wednesday 1st April 2026Wednesday 8th April 2026

New Podcast: Lessons from Cyber Breaches

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 4 of the Guardians of Data podcast. This is a show where we explore the world of information law and information governance; from privacy and AI to cybersecurity and freedom of information. The topic of this episode is cyber security. Every week we read about organisations being hacked, held to ransom or their data being stolen. The BBC recently discovered,…

by actnowtraining Wednesday 18th March 2026Wednesday 8th April 2026

Transparency and FOI: 20 Years On

Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 3 of the Guardians of Data podcast. This is a show where we explore the world of information law and information governance – from privacy and AI to cybersecurity and freedom of information. In the past few weeks, we have had a stark reminder of why transparency in public life is a democratic necessity. The US Government’s release of millions…

by actnowtraining Wednesday 4th March 2026Wednesday 8th April 2026