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From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date.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.

How do we handle complaints?

Good complaint handling is an important part of any agency's work. Done right, complaint handling can strengthen client relations and help keep your agency in touch with individuals' concerns and feedback.

If your agency receives a privacy complaint, take it seriously and take action. Your agency may not be in the wrong, but either way, it pays to act quickly. Generally it's a good idea for your Privacy Contact Officer to be involved in the complaint handling process.

For practical tips on how to deal with a privacy complaint read our information sheet: A step-by-step guide to internal investigations of privacy complaints by Australian and ACT government agencies.