Today is the last day of Open Government Week – an annual event that brings together government and civil society to make communities stronger, more open, participatory, inclusive and accountable. The Australian Government is a member of the Open Government Partnership and recently released a national action plan, which OAIC executive members helped to co-design. As a key integrity agency dedicated to managing government-held information as a national resource, we’re working as part of the Open Government Partnership Australia to progress the commitments in the action plan. Read Australia’s Third National Action Plan 2024–25: https://lnkd.in/gXyK4yhw Explore the Open Government Week website to find out how you can take action: opengovweek.org #OpenGov #OpenGovWeek
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Government Administration
Sydney, NSW 12,719 followers
We promote and uphold privacy and information access rights
About us
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is the independent national regulator for privacy and freedom of information. Our purpose is to uphold privacy and information access rights. As an independent statutory agency, the OAIC’s work is of national significance and plays an important role in shaping Australia’s information handling landscape across the economy – from government, digital platforms and the online environment, to health, finance and telecommunications. We are an agency within the Attorney-General Department’s portfolio with responsibility for: • privacy functions under the Privacy Act 1988 and other legislation • freedom of information, in particular review of decisions made by agencies and ministers under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
- Website
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http://www.oaic.gov.au
External link for Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
- Industry
- Government Administration
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Sydney, NSW
- Type
- Government Agency
- Founded
- 2010
Locations
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Primary
GPO Box 5288
Sydney, NSW 2001, AU
Employees at Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Updates
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How is AI changing the work of regulators, and what change is needed to effectively regulate AI? Last week, Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind joined ASIC Chair Joe Longo, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver to explore AI regulation in Australia, in a discussion moderated by Professor Nicholas Davis, co-director of the University of Technology Sydney Human Technology Institute. Speaking to one of the changes needed, Commissioner Kind said, ‘We need to find new mechanisms for identifying privacy violations that are invisible to the public’. #AI #Regulation
‘Government and regulators can – and must – have a hand in shaping how AI technology is designed and deployed. It needs to accord with the values and rights on which our social stability and individual liberties depend.’ ASIC Chair Joe Longo opened the ASIC x UTS AI Regulators Symposium last week. Co-hosting the event with the UTS Human Technology Institute, we brought together experts from academia, business, industry, and government for a critical conversation on how #AI is changing #regulation and the way regulators go about their work. The event opened with a closed roundtable session of 30 leading voices on AI governance and regulation, facilitated by Professor Nicholas Davis. In the evening, the Symposium opened to the public with Joe's opening remarks followed by a keynote address from Assistant Treasurer, The Hon Stephen Jones MP. We thank all the attendees and participants and look forward to continuing our work with industry, government and beyond to balance innovation with the responsible, safe, and ethical use of emerging technologies.
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For Open Government Week, Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd wrote an article for The Mandarin about what it takes to open government. The case for further opening government has never been stronger with Australia positioning itself to lead in information governance in the digital era. Read the Commissioner’s article: https://lnkd.in/gXZNDhir #OpenGov #OpenGovWeek
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Sign up to our Information Matters newsletter for the latest news about the privacy and access to information landscape: https://lnkd.in/guFr369W May edition out now.
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Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind was a keynote speaker at the Public Sector Network Innovate Australia Showcase in Canberra earlier today. The Commissioner discussed the role of regulation in building the foundations for innovation. Read her speech: https://lnkd.in/g2VUHX7A
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27 May to 3 June is National Reconciliation Week. It’s a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year’s theme ‘Now More Than Ever’, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will – and must – continue. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gw3TwTPS #NRW2024
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The OAIC has closed our preliminary inquiries into TikTok. The purpose of preliminary inquiries is to determine whether an investigation is warranted. Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind said, ‘From the information before me, there is no clear and obvious breach of Australian privacy law that would warrant opening an investigation. This case raises issues that are sadly not unique to TikTok.’ ‘We urgently need reform of the Privacy Act. It is the best way to tackle the most harmful aspects of the digital ecosystem.’
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Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reposted this
Today I have published an op ed in The Australian explaining why I have decided not to pursue further investigations into the TikTok pixel at this point in time. The reason is compelling but unsatisfying - Australian privacy law as written doesn’t sufficiently regulate a harmful data economy that is fuelled by the quantification and monetisation of individuals’ online behaviours. Privacy Act reform is critical if the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is to be properly empowered to tackle systemic and infrastructural privacy harms.
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To mark the beginning of Open Government Week, National Archives of Australia and the OAIC have issued a joint statement championing best practice in government information creation, management, protection, use and access. Read the statement: https://lnkd.in/g5mTsueq #OpenGov #OpenGovWeek Open Government Partnership
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Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind took part virtually in a panel discussion yesterday at the Computers, Privacy, and Data Protection (CPDP) Conference held in Brussels. Panellists from Colombia, France, Kenya and Sri Lanka spoke on the topic of ‘Global challenges, global solutions: case studies for international enforcement cooperation on data protection’. While discussing how a global network of regulators can work effectively on issues together, Commissioner Kind said: ‘There is virtue in regulators from around the world finding ways to take complementary approaches to enforcement actions.’ #CPDP2024