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From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date.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

Identity security

Identity security is a broad topic that covers a range of issues relating to securing personal information, and what to do if that information is lost or stolen.

Not all issues to do with identity security are handled by the Office. There are a number of other agencies and organisations which may be able to assist with your query. Please see below for more information.

What can I do to secure my personal information and prevent my identity from being stolen?

Read our 10 Steps to Protecting Your Personal Information.
For what to watch out for when your identity documents are scanned, see www.privacy.gov.au/faq/individuals#id-scanning.
For what to do and not to do when visiting social networking sites, see www.privacy.gov.au/faq/individuals#social_networking.
For information on securing your personal information when online, see www.privacy.gov.au/topics/technologies.

The Attorney-General's Department's ID Theft Booklet, which can be found on its Identity Security page, also offers tips on protecting your identity.

Another website with information about how to counter scams, including identity scams, is www.scamwatch.gov.au.

Do I have to show my identity documents or allow them to be scanned?

There may be some circumstances where you are required to show your identity documents to a government agency or business, but this does not necessarily mean that they also need to be scanned: see www.privacy.gov.au/faq/individuals#id-scanning.

What should I do if my identity is stolen?

The Attorney-General's Department's ID Theft Booklet, which can be found on its Identity Security page, contains helpful advice about what to do if your identity is stolen, including a handy checklist of steps to help minimise any financial loss and damage done to you.

Other places to go

For agencies and organisations, the following documents may assist you to implement steps to secure customers' personal information:

10 Steps Guides for Agencies and Organisations
Issues around scanning ‘proof of identity' documents
Securing your customers personal information
Guide to handling personal information security breaches.

If you think an agency or organisation has misused your personal information, you can make a complaint. To find out more, see Complaints.