Credit providers, like banks and building societies, provide reports about people's outstanding debts and credit applications to central databases managed by credit reporting agencies.

Part IIIA of the Privacy Act deals with credit reporting and sets out rules about what information credit providers can report and to whom the credit reporting agency can give that information.

Part IIIA provides privacy safeguards in relation to consumer credit information (credit you obtain for household or domestic purposes). Generally Part IIIA does not cover commercial credit information (credit sought by individuals for commercial purposes) except in some limited circumstances. Whether Part IIIA applies or not, credit providers and reporters must still comply with the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act.

Other places to go

• For more information about Part IIIA, see Credit reporting.
• For general information about banking, credit reporting and privacy, see Credit and finance.

• For information about the Australian Government’s proposed changes to Part IIIA of the Privacy Act (handling of credit information) and the proposals for a revised, binding credit code under the Privacy Act, see the Office’s Law reform and Credit and finance pages.