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From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date.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

Types

Topic(s): Compliance

Media Announcement: Privacy Commissioner publishes case notes 8 - 20 for 2007

29 June 2007

The Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, has today released 13 new case notes covering a range of different privacy issues and topics:

F v Insurance Company [2007] PrivCmrA 8 relates to the collection and disclosure of personal information during an insurance claim.

G v Law Firm [2007] PrivCmrA 9involves the improper use of personal information by a law firm.

H v Health Service Provider [2007] PrivCmrA 10 considers the improper disclosure of medical information.

I v Insurance Company [2007] PrivCmrA 11 examines the responsibility of insurance companies to keep personal information secure and safe from unauthorised modification.

J v Government Agency [2007] PrivCmrA 12 looks at the right of government agencies to collect personal information about individuals from third parties.

K v Health Service Provider [2007] PrivCmrA 13 relates to the right of individuals to access personal information held in their medical record.

L v Contractor to Australian Government Agency [2007] PrivCmrA 14 considers the improper disclosure of personal information to a person's employer.

M v Health Service Provider [2007] PrivCmrA 15 looks at patient privacy regarding photographic images taken by their health service provider.

N v Accountancy Firm [2007] PrivCmrA 16 looks at the meaning of consumer credit.

O v Insurance Company [2007] PrivCmrA 17 examines an allegation about the improper disclosure of personal information during an insurance claim investigation.

P v Tenancy Database [2007] PrivCmrA 18 involves the accuracy and currency of personal information.

Q v Australian Government Agency [2007] PrivCmrA 19 regards the security and accuracy of personal information held by a government agency.

R v Retailer [2007] PrivCmrA 20 considers the right of an individual to access and have their data removed from a retailer's database.

The Privacy Commissioner publishes case notes of finalised complaints that are considered to be of interest to the general public.

Most cases chosen for inclusion in case notes involve interpretation of the Privacy Act or associated legislation in new circumstances, illustrate systemic issues, or illustrate the application of the law to a particular industry or subject area. The case notes are intended to offer a synopsis only. They are not intended to be a comprehensive account.

It is a function of the Commissioner to endeavour to resolve complaints by conciliation where appropriate (s.27(1)(a)). As a result, the outcome in any particular case will be affected a number of factors, including the applicable law, the facts of the matter and the approach to the conciliation process taken by both the complainant and respondent. Please visit the Complaint Case Notes, Summaries and Determinations page for more details.