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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From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date.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 Release: Regulators Co-Operate to Improve Privacy Compliance

12 March 2002

JOINT STATEMENT - AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

A memorandum of understanding to facilitate cooperation and coordination between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Office of the Privacy Commission was signed today.

ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, and the Privacy Commissioner, Mr Malcolm Crompton, signed the agreement in Canberra today.

Last year's changes to the Privacy Act 1998 require much of the private sector to uphold uniform standards for the protection of personal information. The standards interact with some of the existing fair trading rules.

The MOU provides a framework for co-operation when the responsibilities of the FPC and the ACCC overlap and importantly will allow both agencies to take advantage of opportunities to assist each other with enforcement activities, investigations and litigation, training and education.

"Our organisations will work together to ensure that privacy statements issued by companies to comply with the Privacy Act are not misleading or deceptive", Professor Fels said today.

"We need to work together, to share knowledge and resources, particularly in relation to the developing areas of e-commerce and Internet issues. As part of the process, we may work together with the ACCC's Competing Fairly Forum. Later this year we may also consider a joint internet sweep day targeting on-line compliance", Professor Fels said.

"We are very conscious of the need for consistency of approach in any potential overlapping areas of responsibility", Privacy Commissioner, Malcolm Crompton said. "The compliance framework has to make sense for businesses and consumers and it must be efficient. By working closely with the ACCC, we expect to get privacy information out to more consumers and to get a clearer insight about privacy practices and privacy concerns".