Peter A Clarke

The lads at Facebook have not been all that caught up with privacy issues of its users. They seem to take the view that being being wildly popular is the ultimate answer to any concern, trivial or major. A modern day “vox populi vox dei”. Consequently Facebook finds itself on the wrong side of privacy issues on a fairly regular basis.
In the Australian today there is another report of a continued cavalier approach to privacy.

Here is the report in toto:

FACEBOOK is facing its most serious privacy issue to date, with claims that it is collecting user’s information after they have logged out.

The issue, raised by Australian born blogger Nik Cubrilovic, has sparked a major privacy debate on the internet overnight, and follows Cubrilovic’s demonstration on his blog of Facebook keeping its browser cookies active after a user has logged out of the social network.

“Logging out of Facebook Read the rest of this entry »

The Australian has been the most active media outlet on the question of a statutory right to privacy.  It’s coverage has been generally hostile and some of its writers has been vociferously critical and sometimes to the point of being addled.

First out of the blocks is Proposed law to award privacy invasions up to $150,000 damages which provides:

CITIZENS claiming their privacy had been invaded would be in line for damages of up to $150,000 without having to prove economic loss under a proposed blueprint for new privacy laws.

But the Gillard government has committed to protecting freedom of expression and public interest reporting if it creates a legal right to sue for serious privacy invasions.

A discussion paper released today examines Read the rest of this entry »

The Government’s long expected discussion paper on a serious invasion of privacy has been released.

It is found at http://www.dpmc.gov.au/privacy/causeofaction/

The press release provides:

Minister for Privacy and Freedom of Information Brendan O’Connor today released an Issues Paper discussing the Australian Law Reform Commission’s proposal for legislation to allow Australians to take civil legal action if their privacy has been seriously invaded.

The ALRC recommended introducing a statutory cause of action for serious invasions of privacy following its 28-month investigation of Australia’s privacy laws. The New South Wales and Victorian Law Reform Commissions have since made similar proposals.

The ALRC proposal would allow individuals to seek a remedy from a court where their private life has been seriously invaded in a way that ordinary Australians would consider to be highly offensive.

Currently, where Read the rest of this entry »

In the Australian today there is an interesting piece on a finding of a privacy breach by the Professional Services Review.  It provides:

PATIENT privacy has been compromised in the federal government’s bid to control health spending, with a key agency found to have illegally merged data from Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

In a case likely to fuel privacy concerns over planned electronic health records, the embattled Professional Services Review has been ordered to add computer system and practice changes to a growing list of reforms.

The PSR investigates Read the rest of this entry »

Today the Attorney General has released a White paper on Cyber crime and space.  Titled, not surprisingly and a little kitchly, Cyber white it is a huge document (found here).  Submissions are open until 15 November 2011.

The joint press release states:

The Gillard Government today invited members of the public and businesses to have their say on the development of Australia’s first ever Cyber White Paper.

The Government released a public discussion paper as part of the development of the Cyber White Paper, which invites submissions on a range of issues regarding the importance of cybersp Read the rest of this entry »