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Guidance and advice
RSS feedWe’ve developed these guides to help organisations and agencies comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and related subjects.
See also: APP Guidelines.
26 June 2019
Publication date: August 2015This resource provides a number of steps an agency or organisation should consider taking to protect the privacy of Tax File Number (TFN) information, and ensure they comply with the binding Privacy (Tax File Number) Rule 2015 (TFN Rule) issued under s 17 of the Privacy Act ...
13 June 2019
The aim of this resource is to assist organisations and agencies to understand their obligations under the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) when sending personal information overseas. This resource supplements, and should be read together with the full text of the APPs, section 16C of the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) ...
13 June 2019
Images of individuals in photographs or video (images) are treated as personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) where the person’s identity is clear or can reasonably be worked out from that image. Images of individuals may also contain sensitive information if, for example, the individual’s racial or ...
29 May 2019
What is ID scanning?Identification scanning is where a business takes an electronic copy of proof of identity documents, such as a driver’s licence.Does the Privacy Act allow ID scanning?The Privacy Act allows entities it covers to collect identity information, including through ID scanning, if the handling of that information complies ...
28 May 2019
If Centrelink sends you a formal written notice requesting certain information, and the notice states that you are required to provide the information by law, and also states the law under which you are required to provide that information, then you will need to comply. You will not breach the ...
28 May 2019
Can an Australian Government agency use a client’s personal information to contact them to conduct surveys?Generally, yes, it is possible under the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) to use personal information to contact clients to conduct surveys, as long as certain requirements are met.Australian Government agencies must comply with the APPs ...
27 May 2019
Two of the central privacy considerations are:openness — make sure your clients know what will happen with their records choice — give your clients an opportunity to decide whether they want their personal information to remain with you when you move from ‘A’ to ‘B’, or whether they want their ...
27 May 2019
The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) generally allows for personal information to be discussed with individuals via the National Relay Service (NRS).The Privacy Act specifically exempts the NRS’s relay officers from being considered ‘access seekers’. That means that under the Privacy Act, NRS relay officers are effectively not third parties ...
Guidance and advice
RSS feedWe’ve developed these guides to help organisations and agencies comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and related subjects.
See also: APP Guidelines.
29 April 2021
When developing or reviewing a project, consider the need for a privacy impact assessment (PIA). A PIA identifies how a project can have an impact on individuals’ privacy and makes recommendations to manage, minimise or eliminate privacy impacts. We recommend that organisations conduct PIAs as part of their risk management and planning processes. While each project is different, a PIA should generally include the following 10 steps.
Tags:
privacy impact assessment
poster
16 April 2019
When a job applicant gives implied consent to a prospective employee contacting their referee and when a prospective employer must first get the applicant’s consent.
1 May 2019
An organisation with an annual turnover of less than $3 million that is a reporting entity under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act), or an authorised agent of a reporting entity, will also need to comply with the APPs in respect of their personal information handling activities in relation to the AML/CTF Act, regulations or the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Rules.
Tags:
anti-money laundering
The purpose of this resource is to provide tips on key issues that entities regulated by the Privacy Act should consider when assessing the privacy impacts of a remote working arrangement.
Tags:
privacy impact assessment
COVID-19
10 March 2021
An emergency declaration was made under the Privacy Act 1988 in response to bushfires in Australia resulting in death, injury and property damage occurring from August 2019 into 2020. It allowed personal information about people affected by the bushfires to be exchanged by Australian Government agencies and private sector organisations for specific purposes that may not otherwise be allowed under the Privacy Act.
Tags:
emergency
This resource assists Australian entities to understand the new requirements in the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation and how they can comply with Australian and EU privacy laws.
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GDPR
28 May 2019
If Centrelink sends you a formal written notice requesting certain information, and the notice states that you are required to provide the information by law, and also states the law under which you are required to provide that information, then you will need to comply.
28 May 2019
An Australian Government agency may use personal information to contact clients to conduct surveys, as long as certain requirements are met.