Who would have thought someone from Google would raise worries about privacy……..about anything.  But it has happened.  In Google chief urges action to regulate mini-drones Eric Schmidt raises privacy and security concerns about drones.

The article provides:

The Read the rest of this entry »

In Complainant AY v Public Sector Employer [2013] VPrivCmr 02 the Victorian Privacy Commissioner considered a serious complaint about a breach of privacy by a public sector employer.

FACTS

In approximately 2006 Read the rest of this entry »

On 3 April 2013 ARCA released its draft of the new CR Code, an integral part of the regulatory framework of those governed by the Credit Reporting provisions of the Privacy Act.

The public consultation closes on 5 May 2013.

The Information Commissioner’s media release of yesterday’s date is found here.

The draft CR Code and details for lodging a submission can be found here.

Part of the ARCA submission Read the rest of this entry »

Last Wednesday, 3 April 2013, the stand in presenter on the ABC morning shift in Melbourne, Sally Warhurst interviewed Hai Tran of Coptercam regarding the civilian use of drones.  It is found here.  It is Read the rest of this entry »

Professor Richards, of the Washington University in St Louis School of Law has published an excellent article in the latest edition of the Harvard Law Review titled The Dangers of Surveillance.

The abstract provides:

From the Fourth Amendment to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, our law and literature are full of warnings about state scrutiny of our lives. These warnings are commonplace, but they are rarely very specific. Other than the vague threat of an Orwellian dystopia, as a society we don’t really know why surveillance is bad, and why we should be wary of it. To the extent the answer has something to do with “privacy,” we lack an understanding of what “privacy” means in this context, and why it matters. Developments in government and corporate practices, Read the rest of this entry »

The Sydney Morning Herald with I spy with my little fly … animal cruelty , the Australian with Farmers ‘may shoot down drones’ sent by Animal Liberation to check their stock , the ABC with Animal welfare group to monitor farms with drone, the Daily Telegraph with Animal Liberation spying drones attract ire of farmers, the Age with Drone will range freely over farms to keep tabs on animal welfare all report on Animal Liberation’s announcement that it will operate a camera mounted drone over private properties to monitor the treatment of livestock and gather evidence of animal cruelty.

Animal Liberation claims it has legal advice that it has legal advice that what they will be doing is legal. From the Sydney Morning Herald article :

And there appears to be little farmers can do to avoid coming under drone surveillance – flying drones above tree height is legal.

”Our legal advice is that if you’re no nearer than 10 metres above ground, and you’re not filming in anyone’s houses, you can go ahead,” said Mark Pearson, head of the animal welfare group.

George Williams, academic and commentator,  fairly well summarised the lamentable situation of a privacy tort, or non tort, in Australia in Privacy: the fix should not be left to judges. As Williams alludes, the ALRC, the NWSLRC and the VLRC have all recommended a statutory right of action for interference with privacy, by anyone and not just media.  That the Government should see some benefit in referring back to the ALRC the tort of privacy for further examination makes no legal or policy sense.  The ALRC emphatically said it was a good idea and set out the elements of the action and the defences to it.  Nohting of susbstance has changed since the report of 2008 and the Government’s discussion paper on the subject in 2011.  It makes sense if one looks Read the rest of this entry »

The UK Times has published the award winning and second and third winnings essays of the topic Privacy and the press: is state regulation in the public interest. They are found here.

They provide:

On May 10, 1768, the crackle of musketry tore through a crowd that had gathered at St George’s Fields. The imprisonment of John Wilkes for seditious and obscene libels had helped to trigger widespread protests against the Government, and the St George’s Fields Massacre was but another bloody milestone in the broader struggle for civil and political liberties in Britain.

Wilkes was not a wholly sympathetic character. A bawdy womaniser, occasional MP and radical journalist, his writing veered between passionate criticisms of the Government and downright obscenity. A practical joke of his involving Read the rest of this entry »

In Media law changes move closer the Australian reports that a package of reforms relating to a changes to Australia’s media laws could go to federal cabinet as early as Monday.  One of the proposed reforms mooted for discussion is a tort of privacy.  Read the rest of this entry »

In the UK 3 ex and one current public official have pleaded guilty to selling information to the Sun.  The Guardian reports on it here.  They pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office. The charges stem from the phone hacking scandal that has engulfed UK’s tabloid press.

It provides:

Old Bailey hears first guilty pleas following arrest as part of investigation into alleged illegal payments to public officials

Two former police officers, an ex-prison officer and another public official have admitted selling information to the Sun – the first people to plead guilty in relation to the investigation into alleged illegal payments by journalists.

Alan Tierney, an ex-Surrey police constable, and former prison officer Richard Trunkfield, both pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office Read the rest of this entry »