Australian DPA releases Privacy Act review

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OIAC) has released a paper reviewing the national data protection legislation, identifying key elements needed to support effective privacy regulation over the next decade. These elements consist of global interoperability, enabling privacy self-management, organisational accountability, and a contemporary approach to regulation. The OAIC’s recommendations in this submission address the declining levels of trust and responding to the community’s desire for more to be done to protect their privacy in the face of new and emerging threats. According to the OIAC, restoring trust and confidence in the digital age requires the Privacy Act to be supplemented with protections that create legal obligations to achieve greater fairness and organisational accountability to address privacy risks and harms.