Update on the Government’s Proposed Privacy Reforms
In time for Privacy Awareness Week, we thought we’d update you on the Government’s proposed reforms to the Privacy Act.
What were the Proposed Changes?
The proposed reforms:
Impose harsher penalties and greater accountability on companies for privacy and data security
Aim to give individuals greater control over their personal information
Remove some exemptions from the Privacy Act
“This shifts the burden from individuals, who are currently required to safeguard their privacy by navigating complex privacy policies and consent requirements, and places more responsibility on the organisations who collect and use personal information to ensure that their practices are fair and reasonable in the first place.”
— Angelene Falk, Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner
In particular, Certex Managing Director Dianne Gibert noted mid-tier penalties which may require businesses to pay to rectify a breach, such a replacing the driver’s license.
According to Dianne, “Controls are not as tight as they could and should be. Even if they were appropriate 10 years ago, in the current environment of hacking and attacks, they’re nowhere near as good as they should be.”
“The world has changed, but it’s possible a lot of agencies have not yet woken up to the fact that they’re going to have to change what they collect, when they collect it, and how securely they hold it.”
Last year, we interviewed Dianne about these proposed changes. Find out what she had to say below.
What’s Been Happening?
February 2023
The Attorney-General released the Privacy Act Review Report.
September 2023
Following extensive public consultation, the Australian Government released its response to the report.
Where to Next?
Since early 2024, the Government has since been conducting additional target consultations. Areas of focus include small businesses, private sector employees, and journalism and research.
“The plan needs to be pretty clear,” urges Certex Managing Director, Dianne Gibert, “You’ve got to have phone numbers, and names of people at the other end of those phone numbers, so when you ring them and say, ‘Everything is collapsing around my ears,’ [they will] know what to do because they already know you.”
Privacy Awareness Week 2024
6-12 May is Privacy Awareness Week.
The theme for this year’s campaign is Privacy and technology: Improving transparency, accountability and security. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is asking individuals, companies, and government agencies to ‘power up your privacy’.
Visit the PAW website to discover events and resources.