March 31, 2015
The UK Information Commissioner’s Monetary Penalty Notice against the Serious Fraud Office highlights both the need to have secure means of handling personal information and the consequences of releasing very sensitive information to the wrong party. The notice also Read the rest of this entry »
March 30, 2015
On Friday 27 March 2015 the Privacy Commissioner announced that he has accepted an enforceable undertaking from Optus arising from 3 privacy breaches.
This is the first reported use of the powers given the Privacy Commissioner under amemdments to the Privacy Act 1988 which took effect on 12 March 2014. The undertakings provision is Read the rest of this entry »
March 26, 2015
The article Some 5,600 privacy breaches in federal government in 2014: documents provides a salutory lesson on Read the rest of this entry »
The Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) has established the Bureau of Consumer Protection Office of Technology Research and Investigation to focus on Read the rest of this entry »
March 24, 2015
Wired in The Privacy Revolt: The Growing Demand For Privacy-as-a-Service provides an interesting analysis of and argument for businesses providing privacy as part of a businesses services. The message is not new, nor are the solutions. The article highlights how it is becoming necessary to implement proper privacy strategies. In the Australian context Read the rest of this entry »
March 23, 2015
When the Mike Bezos first raised the possibility of drones being used by Amazon to deliver goods, Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Is Seriously Serious About Drone Deliveriesthe response was decidely sceptical and a more than a little hostile, see We can do without Jeff Bezos’s delivery drones. That was 2014.
Late last week the Federal Aviation Authority gave Amazon an experimental airworthiness certificate, stating in its release: Read the rest of this entry »
March 21, 2015
The Economist in the aptly titled A looming threat continues the growing body of reportage and analysis of the impact of drone technology As is expected with the Economist it is a thoughtful piece which goes beyond the usual coverage of drones, which often focus on the gee whiz factor, and looks at the increasing public policy conundrums and the obvious privacy issues associated with expanding numbers of drones and their Read the rest of this entry »
March 20, 2015
The BBC reports in The private investigator who spies using drones about a private investigator who uses drones for surveillance and general investigation. It is a good practical example of how drone technology is moving into mainstream commercial use, in this case by private investigators. The technology moves on and the law struggles to catch up. Though on the latter point many US states are Read the rest of this entry »
March 18, 2015
In Bennett v Lenovo (Canada) Inc (the statement of claim found here) the plaintiff, Daniel Bennett, last week commenced a proceeding under the Canadian Class Proceedings Act 1992 against Lenovo for breach of contract, a breach of the Consumer Protection Act 2002 and intrusion upon seclusion. The last cause of action, intrusion upon seclusion, is a privacy tort. The nub of the claim is Read the rest of this entry »
March 17, 2015
The Pew Research Center is a pre eminent research body. Its publications often generate headlines. They are invariably a spotlight onto issues of concern to contemporary society. Consistent with that approach the Pew Research Center has published its findings on Americans’ changed behaviours arising out of the revelations by Edward Snowden on privacy intrusive behaviour by Government. The 37 page report, American’s Privacy Strategies Post-Snowden, reveals the nuanced response by many and that there is no one homogenous view on all the privacy related issues. But it is telling to note Read the rest of this entry »