21/8/2007

The Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, has called for government agencies and business to participate in Privacy Awareness Week from 26 August to 1 September 2007.

"Privacy is everyone's concern, but often we don't think about it until it's gone," Ms Curtis said.

"Privacy Awareness Week is an opportunity for us all, both as individuals and in our professional lives, to reflect on the role we play in ensuring we have a community in which privacy is valued and respected."

Privacy Awareness Week is an initiative of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum, consisting of privacy authorities in Australia, NSW, Victoria, Northern Territory, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Korea. The week will see a series of activities across these regions.

Among the activities of the Office of the (Australian) Privacy Commissioner are the:

• Launch of the report of a nationwide study into community attitudes towards privacy.
• Announcement of the international winner/s of the "Privacy is your business" writing competition for secondary school students.
• Release of an information sheet on ID scanning by businesses.
• Release of the winter edition of the Office's Privacy Matters online newsletter.
• Launch of a bookmark with the Information and National Privacy Principles in plain English.
• Release of a computer privacy log-on screen.
• Production of an online video message from the Privacy Commissioner.
• Publication of the Office's latest Case Notes.

Further information on Privacy Awareness Week and activity ideas for your workplace can be viewed at http://www.privacyawarenessweek.org/paw/australia.html.

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