Chief Operating Officer in Europe of Microsoft search engine Bing at the time of the Inquiry. Gave evidence on the feasibility of pulling down links in cases of invasion of privacy and on protection, licensing and litigation of intellectual property rights. Also answered questions from Lord Leveson on whether systems were able to filter defamatory material.
Business editor of the BBC at time of giving evidence. Told the Inquiry that he set himself high standards of ethical journalism. He would always multi-source a story and he had never disclosed the identity of a source, he said. The primary responsibility for ensuring decent journalistic practice lay with the managements of media organisations, he thought. Peston also founded the education charity Speakers for Schools in 2011. He left the BBC in 2015 to become Political Editor of ITV News and host of the weekly political discussion show Peston on Sunday.
