Site Changes

On 1 November 2010 the Office of the Privacy Commissioner was integrated into the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and a new website established at www.oaic.gov.au.

Note 1: Major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 will come into effect in March 2014. Agencies, businesses and not for profits need to start preparing for these changes. For more information go to our privacy law reform page at www.oaic.gov.au
Note 2: From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date. For new privacy content visit the www.oaic.gov.au website.

Glossary

Note: This page provides abbreviated descriptions of terms commonly used in discussing privacy issues. For a complete definition of legal terms, you should consult the definitions section of the Privacy Act.

A
AAT	Administrative Appeals Tribunal
ABA	Australian Bankers Association
BFSO	Australian Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman
ABN	Australian Business Number
ABR	Australian Business Register
ABS	Australian Bureau of Statistics
ACMA	Australian Communications and Media Authority
ACCC	Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
ACCI	Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
ACIF	Australian Communications Industry Forum
ADJR Act	Administrative Decisions Judicial Review Act
ADHA	Australian Department of Health and Aging
ADMA	Australian Direct Marketing Association
AEC	Australian Electoral Commission
AG's	Attorney General's Department
AGS	Australian Government Solicitor
AHEC	Australian Health Ethics Committee
AHMAC	Australian Health Minister's Advisory Council
ALRC	Australian Law Reform Commission
ANAO	Australian National Audit Office
AODR	Australian Organ Donor Register
APS	Australian Protective Service
ARC	Administrative Review Council
ASIC	Australian Securities and Investment Commission
ASIO	Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
ASIS	Australian Secret Intelligence Service
ATO	Australian Taxation Office
ATSIC	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Commission
AUSTRAC	Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre

B
Biotechnology Australia	Biotechnology Australia is a multi-departmental Government agency responsible for coordinating biotechnology issues for the Commonwealth Government, and seeking to provide balanced and factual information on biotechnology to the Australian community.
BMMS	Better Medication Management System
BEP	business.gov.au website (Formerly Business Entry Point)

C
CIF	Credit Information File
Class member	in relation to a representative complaint, means any of the persons on whose behalf was lodged, but does not include a person who has withdrawn under section 38B.
Code Complaint	means a complaint about an Act or practice that, if established, would be an an interference with the privacy of the complainant because it breached an approved privacy code.
Code of Conduct	Credit Reporting Code of Conduct and Explanatory Notes
Commercial Credit	means a loan sought or obtained by a person, other than a loan of a kind referred to in the defintion of credit.
Commissioner of Police	means the Commissioner of Police appointed under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979.
Commonwealth Contract	means a contract, to which the Commonwealth or an agency is or was a party, under which services are to be, or were to be, provided to an agency.
Consent	means express consent or implied consent
Corporation	means a body corporate that:
	(a) is a foreign corporation;
	(b) is a trading corporation formed within the limits of Australia or is a financial corporation so formed; or
	(c) is incorporated in a Territory, other than the Northern Territory
CrimTrac	The CrimTrac Agency was established on 1 July 2000 as a major national policing initiative for the 21st century. CrimTrac will allow Australian police services to take advantage of the dramatic opportunities opened up by recent advances in forensic science, information technology and communications.
CSA	Child Support Agency

D
Data-matching Act	Data-matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act 1990
DETYA	Department of Education, Science & Training
DEWR	Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
DHAC	Department of Health and Ageing
DIMA	Department of Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs
DVA	Department of Veterans' Affairs

E
Electoral Act	Commonwealth Electoral Act 1924 (Cth)
Electoral Regulations	Electoral and Referendum Regulations 1940
E-mail Guidelines	Guidelines on Workplace E-mail, Web Browsing and Privacy
EU	European Union

F
FaCSIA	Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
FOI	Freedom of Information
Forensic Procedures	Bill Crimes Amendment (Forensic Procedures) Bill 2000

G
GAP	Generally available publication (as defined in the Privacy Act)

H
Medicare	Medicare Australia
HREOC	Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

I
IIA	Internet Industry Association
IPPs	Information Privacy Principles
ITSA	Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia

J
JSCEM	Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

M
MBS	Medicare Benefits Schedule
Model Bill	Model Forensic Procedures Bill
MRT	Migration Review Tribunal

N
NAA	National Archives of Australia
ACC	Australian Crime Commission
NCC	National Competition Council
NHMRC	National Health and Medical Research Council
AGIMO	Australian Government Information Management Office
NPPs	National Privacy Principles as set out in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000

O
OECD	Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OPC	Office of the Privacy Commissioner
OGO	Office for Government Online
Organisation	(a) an Australian citizen; or
	(b) a person whose continued presence in Australia is not subject to limitation as to time imposed by law; or
	(c) a partnership formed in Australia or external Territory; or
	(d) a trust created in Australia or an external Territory; or
	(e) a body corporate incorporated in Australia or an external territory; or
	(f) an unincorporated association that has its central management and control in Australia or an external Territory.
ORR	Office of the Regulation Review

P
PAC	Privacy Advisory Committee
PANZA	Privacy Agencies of New Zealand and Australia
Part IIIA	Part IIIA of the Privacy Act ? regulates consumer credit reporting
PBS	Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
PCOs	Privacy Contact Officers
PID	Personal Information Digest
PID	Public Interest Determinations
PKI	Public Key Infrastructure
Privacy Act	Privacy Act 1988
Privacy Amendment Act	Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000

R
RBA	Reserve Bank of Australia
RRT	Refugee Review Tribunal
RSS	Really Simple Syndication

T
TCS	Tasmanian Collection Service
TFN	Tax File Number
TIO	Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman
TIS	Translation and Interpreting Service