Annual Report 2005-06
Chapter 2 Promoting Privacy
- 2.1 Review of Performance
- 2.2 Privacy Website
- 2.3 Media
- 2.4 Speeches and Presentations
- 2.5 Networking for Privacy Solutions
- 2.6 Privacy Advisory Committee
- 2.7 International Liaison
2.1 Review of Performance
In 2005-06 the Office's communication strategy focussed on its website as its main communication tool, offering new services and refining its content and functions to provide a source of valuable information for individuals with an interest in privacy.
This included RSS (Really Simple Syndication) enabling sections of the Office's website, improving the website's search functionality and continuing to upload speeches and media announcements and releases as the Office makes comment. The Office also developed a privacy events calendar allowing organisations hosting privacy related events to have their event listed on the calendar.
2.2 Privacy Website
The Office's website continues to be a major focus for the Office's communication activities. In 2005-06 the Office made some enhancements to the website including RSS enabling its 'Latest Uploads' section of the home page and adding a privacy events calendar to inform users of privacy related events taking place globally which is also RSS enabled.
RSS is an alternative way of viewing webpage content. By RSS enabling the 'Latest Uploads' section of the website, users who download RSS newsreader software are able to easily subscribe to the Office's website, allowing them to automatically receive updated information from the website whenever new material is added.
The privacy events calendar provides details and links on a no endorsement basis to privacy related events taking place in Australia and overseas. This service is also RSS enabled.
The Office continues to prepare and publish on the Office's website case notes of finalised complaints that are considered to be of interest to the general public (see section 3.5 for further information). Monthly statistical updates on complaints and enquiries are also loaded to the website at www.privacy.gov.au/about/complaints/index.html.
The Office's website www.privacy.gov.au increased its traffic from the previous reporting year. Visits to the website increased by 338 959 sessions during 2005-06 compared to the previous year, an increase of 32%. Page views (number of pages people looked at during the session) increased by 1 375 263 (see Table 2.1), an increase of 30%.
The figures in Table 2.1 show the number of sessions and the number of page views for the privacy website each year for the last three financial years, while Chart 2.1 graphically represents the substantial increase in website traffic since 2001.
Table 2.1 Page and Session Views for the Privacy Website
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | Increase 2004-05 to 2005-06 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session views | 827 391 | 1 072 361 | 1 411 320 | + 338 959 |
| Page views | 3 892 737 | 4 561 982 | 5 937 245 | + 1 375 263 |
Chart 2.1 Yearly Comparative Results for the Website
The top six most popular documents on the website for 2005-06 were:
- The Privacy Act 1988 - 290 328
- The National Privacy Principles (extracted from the Act) - 86 571
- Guidelines on Workplace Email, Web Browsing and Privacy - 67 775
- Guidelines for Federal and ACT Government Websites - 40 807
- Guidelines to the National Privacy Principles - 27 682
- Commonwealth Personal Information Digest 1999 - 20 710.
2.3 Media
148 media enquiries were made to the Office during 2005-06. This is down from the 234 enquiries received in 2004-05.
Some of the key issues to come out of media enquiries included:
- Health privacy issues
- Workplace surveillance and employee privacy
- Direct marketing
- General privacy issues
- Office functions and activities
- Health and Social Services Access Card
- Overseas call centre issue
- Reverse find directories
- Venues scanning identity documents
- National identity card.
Health privacy media enquiries covered a wide range of issues including e-health, access to medical records and the security of medical records. Workplace surveillance and direct marketing were also high on the list, with the direct marketing media enquiries being predominantly around the issue of the Government proposed 'Do Not Call' Register.
The Office prepared 14 media announcements and releases during 2005-06 and issued these by mediawire or through the Office's media email network 'primedia' (see section 2.5 for further information).
2.4 Speeches and Presentations
The Office delivered 39 speeches during 2005-06.
The number of speeches delivered during the current financial year has remained at a similar level to those given in recent reporting periods.
To ensure that the Office resources remain directed to priority areas, the Office only undertakes speaking engagements which correspond with key Office objectives. Speeches and presentations were given on a range of subjects including compliance, security and health. A complete list of presentations made by the Commissioner and staff of the Office can be found at Appendix 3. PowerPoint presentations for a number of these speeches are available on the Office's website at www.privacy.gov.au/news/speeches/index.html.
2.5 Networking for Privacy Solutions
The Office's Privacy Connections Network receives messages from the Office concerning privacy issues, developments, events, and other privacy related material in an effort to keep its members informed of privacy related developments. The network commenced in 2001 and as at 30 June 2006 had 688 members. The network comprises people from the Australian community who are interested in privacy issues.
Information about the Privacy Connections Network is available at www.privacy.gov.au/about/connections/index.html.
The Office also has an email list specifically targeting media personnel and media agencies. These members receive the Office's media releases and announcements.
As at 30 June 2006 the media release and announcement email list had 1135 members. Information about the media release and announcement email list is available at www.privacy.gov.au/lists/index.html.
2.5.1 Privacy Contact Officer Network
The Office facilitates a network of Privacy Contact Officers (PCOs). PCOs are the designated points of contact in Australian and ACT Government agencies with whom the Office liaises on an ongoing basis.
The Office views the PCO meetings as a key to maintaining open lines of communication to allow for the exchange of information between the Office and government agencies by keeping each party informed of project developments that have privacy implications.
The PCO Network is also an effective way for the Office to appropriately refer complaints lodged with the Office about a government agency to the agency itself, thereby creating a more efficient complaints handling process.
The Office provides a secretariat role to the PCO Network and organises regular PCO meetings, distributes relevant information and develops resource materials. In 2005-06, the Office held four PCO meetings.
The Office gauges interest in the forums by seeking feedback following each meeting. The meetings continue to receive positive feedback. The Office plans to survey members in 2006-07 to assist in ensuring that the needs of the PCO Network are being met.
2.6 Privacy Advisory Committee
The Privacy Advisory Committee (PAC) is established under s. 82 of the Privacy Act. Its members are appointed by the Governor-General. The functions of the PAC are established under s. 83 of the Privacy Act and provide for the PAC to assist the Commissioner in engaging in and promoting community education, and community consultation, in relation to the protection of individual privacy, and advise the Commissioner on matters relevant to their functions.
The PAC also acts as an external reference point that supports the Commissioner in gaining access to the broad views about privacy in the private sector, government and the community at large. The Office provides a secretariat role to the PAC.
In particular, this year the PAC assisted by providing the Office with direction on a number of activities including the Office's complaint handling review. PAC members attended the November 2005 Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum (see section 2.7.1 for further information) at which they briefed the forum on their role and the benefits of the committee for the Office.
There are currently six members of the PAC. In February 2006, the terms of two of the members, Mr Peter Coroneos and Associate Professor John M. O'Brien, expired. Subsequently, both members were reappointed for additional three-year terms. Following his appointment as Human Rights Commissioner in December 2005, Mr Graeme Innes AO resigned from the PAC. The Government is currently considering his replacement.
2.7 International Liaison
2.7.1 Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities
The Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) forum is a regional forum that includes the Office, the State and Territory Privacy Commissioners in Australia (NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory), together with the Privacy Commissioners of New Zealand and Hong Kong. The Korean Republic is also a member.
The forum, which was previously known as the Privacy Agencies of New Zealand and Australia plus Hong Kong and Korea, meets biannually and is hosted with a rotating venue and host. APPA meetings are an important opportunity to discuss international privacy developments and emerging issues of relevance to APPA affiliates. Further, the forum provides an opportunity for regional Commissioners to exchange knowledge and experiences about privacy regulation across the different jurisdictions. The forum met twice in 2005-06, in November 2005 in Melbourne and in May 2006 in Sydney.
In November 2005 the APPA forum established a Statement of Objectives and resolved that members agreed to closer cooperation on issues of mutual interest and continued development of joint projects. During the year the members of the forum commenced a joint promotions initiative which will be reported on in the 2006-07 annual report.
2.7.2 27th International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data Protection
In September 2005, the Privacy Commissioner attended the 27th International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data Protection in Montreux, Switzerland. During the conference, the Commissioner spoke at 'The importance of self-regulation in the implementation of data protection principles'. The subject of the Commissioner's presentation was The Australian Private Sector Experience in which the Commissioner examined the success of self-regulation in the private sector before the introduction of the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) and the subsequent co-regulatory experience since the introduction of the NPPs. The session explored issues pertaining to regulatory regimes, their comparative effectiveness and the Australian experience of privacy compliance.
At the conference, the Commissioner also presented a speech at the Privacy Laws and Business Roundtable. The Commissioner's speech provided an outline of privacy law in Australia, with particular regard to the Review of the Private Sector Provisions of the Privacy Act and other contemporary privacy issues.