Find out about Australia's privacy regime by visiting our extensive information on privacy. These pages are updated regularly - for the latest developments, visit the news page. If you'd like to be notified when we add new publications to the site, please go to our subscription page to sign up for email alerts or, alternatively, you can subscribe to our RSS feed. The privacy pages give a detailed picture of privacy laws in Australia, with information on how to comply. We give detailed information on how Australia's new regime affects:
- Credit providers
- Those working as Government contractors
- Health professionals
- The insurance industry
- The media
- The telecommunications industry
- 28 June 2010
Focus: Exposure draft of Privacy Principles releasedThe Australian Government has released an Exposure Draft of the Australian Privacy Principles that are proposed to replace the National Privacy Principles and the Information Privacy Principles.Special Counsel Karin Clark and Partner Michael Pattison look at the new principles and their impact on privacy compliance programs.
- 17 December 2009
Audio: PE draft tax rulings releasedThe Australian Taxation Office has released two important tax draft determinations dealing with foreign investors in Australian assets. Partner Charles Armitage speaks to Boardroom Radio about the impact of the determinations
- 09 November 2009
Focus: Reforming privacy and health informationThe Federal Government has released the first stage of its response to the Australian Law Reform Commission's report on privacy law. Partner Catherine Parr, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Lawyer Jacqueline Goodall report on the implications for health service providers, and other bodies that handle health information
- 02 November 2009
Focus: Privacy law and credit reportingThe Australian Government has released the first stage of its response to the Australian Law Reform Commission's report on privacy law. Partner Catherine Parr, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Lawyer Nicholas Tobias report on the credit reporting implications of the proposed reforms
- 27 October 2009
Client Update: Review of the Do Not Call RegisterThe Federal Government has released a discussion paper calling for submissions ahead of its review of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (Cth). Partner Michael Pattison and Lawyer Nicholas Tobias report
- 21 October 2009
Audio: Govt responds to privacy recommendationsThe Federal Government has released the first stage of its response to the Australian Law Reform Commission's report on Australia's privacy laws. Partner Catherine Parr speaks to Boardroom Radio about the key changes to privacy laws that will impact on both the private and public sector
- 20 October 2009
Client Update: Australian Government's response to ALRC privacy law reportThe Australian Government has released the first stage of its response to the ALRC's report on privacy law. Partner Catherine Parr, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Lawyer Jacqueline Goodall report
- 03 November 2008
Focus: PrivacyThe Australian Law Reform Commission has released a report that recommends changes to Australia's privacy laws. Partners Catherine Parr and Peter Jones, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Lawyer Francisca Hoffmann-Axthelm report on the implications for health service providers and other bodies that handle health information
- 11 September 2008
Focus: PrivacyThe Federal Privacy Commissioner has released a guide for businesses, government agencies and non-government organisations on how to respond to data security breaches, including when affected individuals should be notified. Importantly, the guidelines recognise that it is not always desirable that the individuals concerned be told about the breach. Partner Michael Pattison and Special Counsel Karin Clark discuss the guide's recommendations
- 19 August 2008
Focus: PrivacyThe Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended changes to Australia' privacy laws that will have important implications for credit providers. Partners Catherine Parr and Peter Jones look at what will change
- 18 August 2008
Focus: PrivacyThe Australian Law Reform Commission has released a report into privacy law that recommends key changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other privacy legislation. Partners Catherine Parr and Peter Jones look at what is proposed and how the proposed Unified Privacy Principles differ from the current regime
- 11 August 2008
Client Update: PrivacyAfter undertaking the largest community consultation program in its 33-year history, the Australian Law Reform Commission today released its report on privacy law. Partners Peter Jones and Catherine Parr, and Special Counsel Karin Clark report
- 29 October 2007
Focus: PrivacyPartner Catherine Parr, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Articled Clerk Kelly Griffiths report on proposals in the Australian Law Reform Commission's recent discussion paper for the reform of Australian privacy laws as they relate to credit reporting
- 09 October 2007
Focus: Communication, Media & TechnologyThe Australian Law Reform Commission has recently released a discussion paper that proposes reforms of Australia's privacy laws as they relate to developing technologies and telecommunications. Partner Michael Pattison, Articled Clerk Jeremy Collins and Law Graduate Tim Cardiff report
- 07 August 2007
Focus: TelecommunicationsThe past two months has seen a crackdown by the Australian Communications and Media Authority on unsolicited electronic messages. Special Counsel Karin Clark and Lawyer Suzanne Komattu-Mathews report on the outcome of three recent decisions under the Spam Act 2003 (Cth)
- 13 June 2007
Focus: PrivacyJudge Felicity Hampel in the Victorian County Court recently held that the general law now offers protection to 'private information' under both the equitable action of breach of confidence and a new tort of invasion of privacy. Special Counsel Karin Clark, Lawyer Maree Norton and Articled Clerk Adam Butt consider the extent this groundbreaking decision, if upheld, is likely to increase an individual's right to control the publication of 'private information' about themselves
- 10 April 2007
Focus: TelecommunicationsThe creation of a Do Not Call Register scheme last year has major repercussions for the telemarketing industry and all businesses that use phone marketing techniques. Special Counsel Karin Clark, Lawyer Andrew Ailwood and Law Graduates Claire Bourke and Valeska Bloch outline the legislative components establishing the scheme and examine its implications
- 04 April 2007
Focus: ConstructionIn response to recommendations made by the Auditor-General and recent public concerns about the efficacy of certain contracts entered into by the NSW Government, the Freedom of Information Amendment (Open Government - Disclosure of Contracts) Act 2006 (NSW) came into force on 1 January 2007. The purpose of the Act is to promote greater transparency in all contractual dealings between NSW government agencies and the private sector. Partner Leighton O'Brien and Lawyer Joel Sturgeon report
- 08 November 2005
Focus: PrivacyThe Victorian Law Reform Commission's workplace privacy final report, written in response to growing concern about the increased use of surveillance in the workplace, has been tabled in the Victorian Parliament. Lawyer Andrew Ailwood and Special Counsel Karin Clark outline the report's findings
- 06 July 2005
Focus: HealthA number of the recommendations made in the Privacy Commissioner's review of the private sector provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 will impact on organisations or individuals in health-related fields and those accessing health-related services. Partners Catherine Parr, Peter Jones and Cameron Price and Articled Clerk Martin Hecht look at the main findings of the review.
- 14 June 2005
Focus: PrivacyThe Privacy Commissioner's report into the operation of the private sector provisions of the Privacy Act has been released. The AAR Privacy Team summarises the Report's recommendations in a number of key areas of relevance to AAR's clients
- 30 November 2004
Paper: Managing compliance in the global space - transborder data flowPartner Katherine Sainty and Law Graduate Andrew Ailwood discuss the increasing regulation of the transfer of data containing personal or sensitive information from an entity in one country to an entity in another jurisdiction
- 22 October 2004
Focus: PrivacyRecent overseas court decisions point to the emergence of a new common law right to privacy. Articled Clerk Maree Norton, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Partner Katherine Sainty report on the potential implications for Australian organisations, particularly media organisations
- 02 June 2004
Focus: PrivacyIn a first for Australia, the Federal Court has granted an injunction to stop a breach of privacy law. Partner Ian McGill, Special Counsel Karin Clark and Articled Clerk Banjo McLachlan report on the implications for all businesses covered by the National Privacy Principles, including call centres, telemarketers and businesses with large customer databases
- 08 January 2004
Client Update: PrivacyThe Spam Act 2003 received royal assent on 12 December 2003 and its key operative provisions will come into force on 10 April 2004
- 02 December 2003
Focus: Communications, Media & TechnologyOn Tuesday, 2 December, the Federal Government passed national anti-spam legislation in the form of the Spam Bill 2003 and the Spam (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2003. Lawyer Alyssa Caplan reports on the key features of the new anti-spam legislation and important compliance issues for clients
- 15 May 2003
Focus: Consumer Compliance and eCommerceAs consumers become more aware of their rights under the Privacy Act, it is imperative that financial institutions ensure they comply with publicised privacy policies. In April 2003, the Privacy Commission investigated two incidents involving the mishandling of financial information of customers. Senior Associate Lorien Beazley reports
- 17 December 2002
Focus: PrivacyImportant Commonwealth private sector privacy laws, which will impose new obligations on small businesses, commence on 21 December 2002. Lawyer Damien van der Toorn examines which small businesses will be covered, how they are likely to be affected, and what they should be doing to comply
- 08 April 2002
Focus: PrivacySenior Associate Jackie Lyne looks at the increased power and range of regulators of the new privacy regime in the light of a recent collaboration between two Federal bodies
- 12 October 2001
Focus: PrivacyChanges to Australian privacy laws will affect the way Australians do business. These laws will have a significant impact on Australian businesses which send personal information offshore. Partner Katherine Sainty and Senior Associate Brigid Keary look at how these changes may impact on your business and some of the practical steps you can take to minimise that impact
