Close Menu
Honi Soit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • An Interview with Louisa Lim: Building the Future of Hong Kong Identity
    • Lucille MacKellar on Girlhood, Gay Longing, and Having Boy Problems Anyway
    • Heartbreak, Hormones, and Homoeroticism: Lucille MacKellar Has Boy Problems
    • Week 12 CONSPIRASOIT Editorial
    • “Thank you Conspiracy!” says Capitalism, as it survives another day
    • Multiculturalism in Australian Theatre: Youssef Sabet Performs The Juggling Act
    • Everything is Alive at Slowdive
    • The Conspiracy of Free Will
    • About
    • Print Edition
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    • Writing Comp
    • Advertise
    • Locations
    • Contact
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
    Honi SoitHoni Soit
    Thursday, May 22
    • News
    • Analysis
    • Culture
    • Opinion
    • University
    • Features
    • Perspective
    • Investigation
    • Reviews
    • Comedy
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    Honi Soit
    Home»News

    [This headline has been redacted]

    The Privacy Act Review Report culminates the results of a review period that extended for more than two years and included over 200 submissions.
    By Veronica LenardFebruary 22, 2023 News 3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC announced the release of the Privacy Act Review Report earlier this week. The review culminates the results of a review period that extended for more than two years and included over 200 submissions.  

    The Report contains 116 sub-proposals within 30 proposals which would significantly reform the contents of the Act to broaden its extent and introduce new protections.

    The review proposes broadening what is considered personal information, and amending the definitions of de-identification and sensitive information. An updated definition of consent would extend beyond the current provision to require that it must be voluntary, informed, current, specific, and unambiguous, replacing the previous version which only included expressed or implied consent. These terms are used substantially within many of the provisions of the Act, so many of the provisions are contingent on this definition.

    A proposed amendment of the Act would require that the collection, use and disclosure of personal information is done fairly and reasonably, based on the objective perspective of a reasonable person. This would apply whether consent has or has not been obtained.

    Several of the proposals would give individuals more control over their own privacy. The review outlines the creation or development of a right to access your own personal information, object to the collection of personal information, use or disclosure of personal information, request the erasure of your information, and seek correction or de-indexing of personal information for individuals. A right to opt-out of both the use of their personal information in targeted advertising as well as the receipt of targeted advertising is also recommended.

    The proposals suggest an update of the Australian Privacy Principles to require collection notices to be clear, up-to-date, concise and understandable, to be supported by publicly available templates for privacy policies and collection notices. The development of collection notices is particularly notable after the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s review into Clearview AI, who had scraped images from third party sources to develop a facial recognition database based on an individual’s biometric information.

    The review also outlines guidelines for the development and usage of substantially automated decisions where they may have a significant effect on an individual, including a right for individuals to request meaningful information about the decision. This could increase transparency of these largely opaque systems that tend to function as black boxes of decision making.

    Other reforms suggested include removing or amending the small business, political, journalism and employee records exemptions, introducing a Children’s Online Privacy Code, updating the notifiable data breaches scheme, a review of the current civil penalties available, giving individuals a direct right of action relating to interference with privacy to seek relief from the courts and establishing a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy.

    The review has been underway since October 2020, when the issues paper was released. Submissions were collected during 2021 supported by the discussion paper. It is now open for feedback until 31 March 2023, which will inform the drafting of the reformed Act. The proposed recommendations would move Australian privacy policy closer towards the more extensive General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union, which went into effect in 2018.

    digital privacy privacy report review

    Keep Reading

    Heartbreak, Hormones, and Homoeroticism: Lucille MacKellar Has Boy Problems

    Everything is Alive at Slowdive

    NSW paramedics ordered to halt industrial action over mental health pilot program

    Unions call on federal government to intervene against Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project

    I am filled with the digital confetti of your every desire: Artspace opens Amongst the clouds

    “Every penny of our tuition fee becomes a missile fired at Palestinians”: Students vote against new definition of antisemitism at SGM

    Just In

    An Interview with Louisa Lim: Building the Future of Hong Kong Identity

    May 21, 2025

    Lucille MacKellar on Girlhood, Gay Longing, and Having Boy Problems Anyway

    May 21, 2025

    Heartbreak, Hormones, and Homoeroticism: Lucille MacKellar Has Boy Problems

    May 21, 2025

    Week 12 CONSPIRASOIT Editorial

    May 21, 2025
    Editor's Picks

    “Thank you Conspiracy!” says Capitalism, as it survives another day

    May 21, 2025

    A meditation on God and the impossible pursuit of answers

    May 14, 2025

    We Will Be Remembered As More Than Administrative Errors

    May 7, 2025

    NSW universities in the red as plague of cuts hit students & staff

    April 30, 2025
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

    From the mines

    • News
    • Analysis
    • Higher Education
    • Culture
    • Features
    • Investigation
    • Comedy
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Misc

     

    • Opinion
    • Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Social
    • Sport
    • SRC Reports
    • Tech

    Admin

    • About
    • Editors
    • Send an Anonymous Tip
    • Write/Produce/Create For Us
    • Print Edition
    • Locations
    • Archive
    • Advertise in Honi Soit
    • Contact Us

    We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The University of Sydney – where we write, publish and distribute Honi Soit – is on the sovereign land of these people. As students and journalists, we recognise our complicity in the ongoing colonisation of Indigenous land. In recognition of our privilege, we vow to not only include, but to prioritise and centre the experiences of Indigenous people, and to be reflective when we fail to be a counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

    © 2025 Honi Soit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Accessibility

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.