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See the latest news and updates from the OAIC |
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Today the OAIC released our Corporate Plan 2020–21, which sets out our strategic priorities and key activities for the coming four years.
Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk said the plan outlines how the OAIC will achieve our vision of increasing public trust and confidence in the protection of personal information and access to government-held information.
“This year’s Corporate Plan sets out how the OAIC will achieve our core purpose in the context of a vastly different environment to that of a year ago," Commissioner Falk said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought enormous social and economic impacts. It has also focused attention on the right to privacy, and the need for transparency across both personal information handling and government decision-making.
“Through both the pandemic and our recovery, public health and economic outcomes can be supported by promoting and upholding privacy and information access rights. It is this objective that my office seeks to achieve.”
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International Access to Information Day
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On 28 September, the OAIC will join members of the United Nations and Australian states and territories in marking International Access to Information Day.
The event began as Right to Know Day in Bulgaria in 2002, and was proclaimed as International Access to Information Day in October 2019. It recognises the importance of the community’s ‘right to know’ and to access information from governments around the globe.
Australia is among more than 120 countries with access to information laws. Our Freedom of Information Act 1982 requires Australian Government agencies to publish a range of important information.
As countries manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Day also highlights the value of access to government-held information in times of crisis and beyond.
Promoting and upholding information access rights is at the core of our work, including helping the community understand their rights.
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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy is seeking submissions on how privacy affects the evolving capacity of the child and the growth of autonomy, and what factors enhance or constrain this development. Submissions close 30 September.
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Memorandums of understanding
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The OAIC and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have recently signed two memorandums of understanding to facilitate consultation, cooperation and mutual assistance in relation to the Consumer Data Right and the performance of our statutory functions.
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Disclosure of public servants’ personal information in response to FOI requests
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The OAIC has issued a position paper on the disclosure of public servants’ names and contact details in documents released in response to FOI requests. The paper follows careful consideration of submissions received in response to our earlier discussion paper on this issue.
The position paper acknowledges that advances in digital communications have changed the environment in which public servants work and that in some cases, disclosure of names and contact details has the potential to expose staff to work health and safety risks. The position paper provides guidance to agencies in responding to FOI requests when they consider that disclosing this information will place their staff at risk of harm. The FOI Guidelines will be updated shortly consistent with this position paper.
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This year’s Scams Awareness Week (17-21 August) highlighted the dangers of identity theft and the importance of protecting your personal information.
As part of our support for the event, the OAIC shared tips to avoid phishing scams and protect your privacy online.
Phishing scams are one of the most common scams reported to Scamwatch, with more than 25,000 reports last year involving losses of over $1.5 million. Phishing is also a leading cause of data breaches, accounting for 15% of the 518 mandatory data breach notifications to the OAIC between January and June 2020.
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Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey 2020
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Our latest Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey (ACAPS) will be released in the coming weeks. The survey was conducted between February and March 2020 by Lonergan Research, with additional polling in April during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This longitudinal research dates back to 1990 and took on its current form in 2001. It tracks changing attitudes to privacy concerns and regulation, and tests community views on emerging issues such as children’s privacy, biometrics and artificial intelligence.
We will share the results with our Privacy Professionals Network and other stakeholders when the report is published. You can also read past ACAPS reports on our website.
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Advice for businesses collecting personal information for contact tracing is available on our website, along with a range of guidance on privacy and freedom of information in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Businesses should:
- only collect the personal information required under the state or territory direction or order
- notify individuals before you collect the personal information
- securely store this information once collected
- only provide this information to relevant health authorities who undertake contact tracing activities, when requested to do so, and
- destroy the information once it is no longer reasonably necessary for the purpose of contact tracing.
We have also published draft guidance for digital check-in providers collecting personal information for contact tracing to help app and QR code developers provide solutions that comply with the Privacy Act. We welcome feedback on the draft resource from developers, privacy experts and the public, via [email protected]. |
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Information Commissioner decisions
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Information Commissioner review decisions are listed on our website and published in full on AustLII. Recent Information Commissioner decisions include:
- SV’ and Services Australia (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 32
- Dan Conifer and National Disability Insurance Agency (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 33
- Rex Patrick and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 34
- ‘SW’ and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 35
- ‘SW’ and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (Freedom of information) (No 2) [2020] AICmr 36
- Jack Waterford and Australian Federal Police (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 37
- ‘SX’ and Australian Federal Police (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 38
- ‘SY’ and Services Australia (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 39
- Rex Patrick and Department of Defence (No 2) (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 40
- ‘VE’ and Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (Freedom of information) [2020] AICmr 41
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