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From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date.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

Media Release: Federal Privacy Commissioner, Malcolm Crompton, comments on privacy and databases

2/12/1999

Numerous surveys show people in Australia and internationally feel uneasy about the impact of new technologies on an individual''s privacy.

A Roy Morgan survey, published in August 1999, found that "the majority of Australians (56 percent) are worried about invasion of privacy issues created by new information technologies."

A recent survey, by U.S based Forrester Research Inc, of 10,000 Internet users, found that "nearly 90 percent of online consumers want the right to control how their personal information is used after it is collected."

We all want better ways to lead our lives and many new technologies will help us do this. But the cost should not be that we lose control over our personal information. The Government proposal to extend privacy legislation to the private sector, which will be based on the National Principles for the Fair Handling of Personal Information developed by this Office, is intended to help each of us maintain that control.

The National Principles for the Fair Handling of Personal Informationclearly set out standards for the collection, use, disclosure, security, access and correction of personal information. These principles, once put into law, enable individuals to access and amend records held by the private sector.

The principles also place responsibility on businesses to be open about collecting personal information, to ensure it is adequately secured and that information remains accurate and up to date.Arguably the issue is not so much the gathering of the data but the use of it. As long as consumers remain in control of their personal information, good privacy practices and better business outcomes are possible.

However, there is no one simple solution to this issue. What is needed is a mix of approaches to ensure an individual's privacy is maintained.

Through a mix of law, responsible business practices, informed consumers able to exercise choice and other measures such as privacy seals and standards, privacy can and will be maintained The Government's proposal to extend the Privacy Act is the essential element in ensuring that all Australians have greater control over their personal information, regardless of who holds it.