On Wednesday 10 September the The Privacy Commissioner issued a press release Mobile apps must put user privacy first as part of a world wide review by regulators of mobile apps in May.  The nub of the findings is that mobile apps fall far short in providing necessary information to users of what will be done with personal information.  Nothing much new here.  Mobile apps are woefully inadequate in both Read the rest of this entry »

The Privacy Commissioner has released a Data Breach Notification Guide.  A reasonable document and quite consistent with international writings on the subject.  The Privacy Commissioner makes the obvious point that Read the rest of this entry »

In an ongoing series the Privacy Commissioner has released another video on matters privacy.  This addition to the collection is Is my real estate agent allowed to take photos in my house?

The youtube of the video is found here:

Is real estate agent allowed to take photos of my house

The transcript Read the rest of this entry »

The Privacy Commissioner has released a third video, this time titled How to access my personal information.

It is Read the rest of this entry »

The Privacy Commissioner has issued a statement about the Commonwealth Government’s data retention proposal.

In Australian Government’s data retention proposal — statement he Read the rest of this entry »

The Privacy Commissioner has released another educational video, How do I make a privacy complaint.  The You tube of the video is Read the rest of this entry »

Curiously the Privacy Commissioner has today, 6 August,  published on the OAIC web site notice titled Consultation on the revised Guide to information security although it is dated Monday 4 August. Time must move more slowly in Canberra.

The statement consultation period closes on Wednesday 27 August 2014.  That is 3 weeks from today.  Given the nature and importance of the issues surrounding information security, what should constitute reasonable steps and the developments in both law overseas and technological advances (and otherwise) why such an abridged timetable is warranted is more than a little perplexing.

The Consultation draft is found here.

The Consultation Information is found Read the rest of this entry »

Today thePrivacy Commissioenr released a video, the first in a series, on privacy.

It is found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmCE_CkV58I

The transcript provides:

What is privacy?

In Australia, personal information is protected by the Commonwealth Privacy Act. Personal information is information that could identify you, like your name or a photo. Read the rest of this entry »

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has published its most recent statistics relating to the last quarter.  They are found here.  The media release is found here.

Regarding privacy related work the OAIC made the following comments:

• Phone enquiries: handled 16,486 phone enquiries (18,238 in 2012–13) — a 9% increase in privacy phone enquiries, which are 71% of the total
• Written enquiries: answered 3742 written enquiries (3165 in 2012–13) — a 26% increase in privacy written enquiries, which are 64% of the total
• Privacy complaints: received 4243 complaints (184% increase), and completed 2616 (74% increase). The average closure rate was 7.2 privacy complaints per day (90% increase), and the average completion time was 86.7 days (44% decrease)
• Privacy audits: conducted 8 audits (60% increase)
• Data breach notifications (DBNs): handled 73 DBNs (55% increase)
• Privacy investigations: conducted 13 Commissioner-initiated investigations (32% decrease), and published 4 reports
• Advice, guidance and submissions: published 20 guideline items, conducted 22 consultations, provided 133 written policy advices, and made 17 submissions
• Website visits: received 1.51 million website visits (10% increase)

Read the rest of this entry »

The Privacy Commissioner has conducted an own motion investigation into Pound Road Medical Centre. The investigation applied to the Privacy Act prior to the amendments taking effect on 12 March 2014.  

FACTS

On 23 November 2013, a shed located at 16 Amberley Park Drive, Narre Warren South was broken into.  There were boxes of medical records located in a locked shed.  During the break in the boxes, and therefore the documents, were compromised.  The medical records were created when PRMC operated as a medical centre at the site.  PRMC ceased operating the medical practice at the site from 6 April 2011, and since this date has conducted its practice from new premises.

In about October 2012, the records were transferred from a locked room inside the site to the shed so that renovations for sale of the site could occur. The  shed door was locked with three padlocks. PRMC believed that all the paper-based health records stored at the site were transferred to a locked store at its new premises.

A representative from PRMC initially visited the site two to three times a week and later once a week for purposes of maintenance, repairs and renovations to prepare the site for sale.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) was notified that there were boxes of unsecured medical records at the site on 25 November 2013.

The personal information compromised in the data breach consisted of:

1. patients’ ‘identifying particulars’, Read the rest of this entry »