Alexander White, the Privacy Commissioner, is to step down from the post at the end of September.

Mr White, a lawyer from the United States, will be taking up a new job as the privacy commissioner for Queensland, Australia.

Mr White became Bermuda’s first privacy commissioner when he was appointed by John Rankin, who was the Governor in January 2020.

He oversaw the implementation of the Personal Information Protection Act, which upholds personal information rights in electronic and hard-copy form, by all businesses, organisations, charities and government departments.

Mr White was reappointed on a five-year contract in February 2023.

After his pending resignation was confirmed by Government House, Mr White said that he had enjoyed his time in Bermuda and that the decision to leave had not been easy.

He told The Royal Gazette: “I am grateful for the warm welcome that I received from the community here. Bermuda is a unique and special place, and I will carry the memories with me throughout my life.

“It was a difficult decision to leave halfway through my second term. I can’t say that it is something that I planned all along.

“Ultimately, the decision was about what I would be going towards more than what I am leaving.

“This appointment will present a wonderful, new professional challenge to take on while also giving me and my family an opportunity to put down roots. These roles don’t come along every day.”

During his tenure, Mr White made headlines when he said that he was “in the dark” as to the circumstances of the September 2023 cyberattack on government IT systems.

In what some saw as a criticism of the Government — David Burt, the Premier, kept details of the breach under wraps — Mr White said that being open was a more effective approach to “ensure a robust and secure community”.

He said: “We believe in destigmatising breaches to encourage and incentivise the sharing of lessons learnt and hard-won knowledge about cybersecurity and data issues, so that everyone can benefit.

Pipa legislation did not come into effect until the beginning of this year.

At that time, Mr White gave assurances that his office would try to assist rather than punish any organisations that violated the new laws.

He said: “Our intention isn’t to be punitive. We want to be collaborative and constructive in resolving problems. We will point out problems and give instructions, and if you don’t take those steps then there might be an issue.”

Today, Mr White emphasised the importance of privacy regulation.

He said: “Being a privacy commissioner has been my dream job, giving me the challenge of exploring complex, emerging technological and ethical issues.

“In many ways, the decisions that we make today about our values and priorities will have a significant impact on the course of the future.

“I’ve long said that digital rights and climate change are the two most important things anyone can be working on, so I consider myself lucky to be able to devote my time to the cause.

“Given more recent global events, I would add to that list of noble pursuits the peace process and the protection of public integrity institutions.”

A spokeswoman for the Office of the Privacy Commission said: “The selection of Mr White is not only a personal accomplishment but also a testament to the work of the team within the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda and the results that officers have achieved for the protection of individuals’ rights in Bermuda.”

The statement from Government House said: “Mr Alexander White has informed His Excellency the Governor of his resignation, effective 30 September 2025, as Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda.

“An open and competitive recruitment process will now commence to find the next Privacy Commissioner.

“It is anticipated that the post will be advertised both locally and internationally.”

Any questions relating to the selection of a successor should be directed to Government House at www.gov.bm/department/government-house.