Peter A Clarke

The Attorney General has issued a press release regarding the passage of the amendments to the Privacy Act.

It provides:

 FAMILIES TO BENEFIT AS PRIVACY REFORMS PASS THE PARLIAMENT

Australia’s privacy laws have been brought into the digital age, under landmark reforms passed by the Parliament today.

“These reforms are the most significant changes to privacy law since Labor introduced the Privacy Act in 1988,” Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said.

“In the digital age, as Australians connect with each other through social media, purchase footy tickets or pay bills online it is vital that we protect consumers’ personal information.

“These reforms give consumers Read the rest of this entry »

Today the Privacy Commissioner issued a press release today regarding the passage of the amendments to the Privacy Act.

It provides:

The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012, passed Parliament today, and is due to come into effect in March 2014. The Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, says the new laws are an important milestone for privacy in Australia. He is confident the reforms will enhance the protection of peoples’ personal information.

The reforms Read the rest of this entry »

The Senate has released the Schedule of Amendments to the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012. I have also extracted the Hansard of the debate in the Senate.

The amendments are:

2010-2011-2012

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

THE SENATE

Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012

Schedule of the amendments made by the Senate

(1)     Govt (1) [Sheet BP262]

Clause 2, page 2 (table item 2, column 2), omit “9 months”, substitute “15 months”.

(2)     Govt (2) [Sheet BP262]

Clause 2, pages 2 to 3 Read the rest of this entry »

Naomi Wolf, author of the Beauty Myth amongst others, provides some an analysis of the surveillance society in the context of the television show Cheaters in Cheaters and the sinister normalisation of our surveillance society.

It provides:

Tonight the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012 passed the Senate with amendments.

Those amendments are:

The 40 Government amendments:

(1)     Clause 2, Read the rest of this entry »

In Facebook criticised over decision to stop public privacy votes the BBC reports on the likely change by Facebook to its policy of allowing users to vote on changes to its data privacy policy.

The basis of the story Read the rest of this entry »

In a recently released code of practice the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office states that data anonymisation does not have to provide a 100% guarantee to individuals’ privacy in order for it to be lawful for organisations to disclose the information. The ICO has released a code of conduct regarding anonymisation.

Organisations that anonymise personal data can disclose that information even if there is a “remote” chance that the data can be matched with other information and lead to individuals being identified. Organisations that take action Read the rest of this entry »

The Attorney General has released a consultation paper on the impending Royal Commission into Sexual abuse.

It is extracted below:

Consultation Paper onthe Establishment of theRoyal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
The purpose of this document is to seek the input of interested individuals and organisations to the arrangements for the establishment of the Royal Commission, including the scope of the Terms of Reference, the form of the Royal Commission, the number and qualifications of Royal Commissioner/s and the reporting timetable for the Royal Commission. These factors will guide the Commissioner/s in their task of examining responses to instances or allegations of child sexual abuse in the context of public and private institutions or organisations in Australia. The explanatory material and questions below are provided as a guide to start discussions.
On 12 November 2012, the Prime Minister announced that she will be recommending to the Governor-General the establishment of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse in Australia.
Child sexual abuse is a horrific breach of a child’s right to a safe and happy childhood, with immediate and long term impacts on the victims and their families. Child sexual abuse is also a crime that requires the most serious and committed of responses by the whole community. It is important that claims of institutional and systemic failures Read the rest of this entry »

The BBC has another report on the rapid take up of drones for civilian purposes in  Unmanned aircraft project leads push to civilian drones.  The story provides:

The “Pandora’s box” of unmanned aircraft in the UK has been opened, according to the Astraea consortium.

Yet many technology and ethics issues Read the rest of this entry »

The ACTU has raised concerns regarding medical treatment of workers.  One issue is the interference with worker’s medical records.

The story, Employers interfering in medical treatment: ACTU provides:

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is holding a summit in Melbourne to tackle what it says is a growing trend for employers to interfere in their workers’ medical treatment.

It says it has had complaints from the postal, construction and manufacturing sectors.

Some employers are insisting workers visit company-approved doctors and hand over their entire medical history.

The ACTU says in some cases, employers accompany workers to medical appointments.

ACTU assistant secretary Michael Borowick says it is an invasion of privacy.

“We’re going to be, in the near future, engaging with the privacy commissioner,” he said.

“It runs across a whole number of areas of law, privacy, Read the rest of this entry »