CU LAB: What is personal information and why does it matter?

The Australian government has released an exposure draft of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026, introducing sweeping changes to privacy law including broader definitions of personal information, codified consent standards, and a new 72-hour data breach notification requirement. With reforms touching everything from geolocation data to erasure rights, organisations face a compressed timeline to uplift their privacy frameworks before these provisions become law.

Almost two years after a relatively modest set of Privacy Act reforms were passed in late 2024 (Tranche 1 Reforms) (more on these here), the Australian Government has released an exposure draft...

The Australian Government has released an exposure draft of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026, proposing the most substantial reforms to the Privacy Act 1988 in recent times. These changes introduce a fair and reasonable test for data handling, enhanced consent requirements, expanded breach notification obligations, and new rights including data erasure for large digital platforms.

Australia's Privacy Act reform has reached a critical milestone with the release of exposure draft legislation proposing fundamental changes to how organisations handle personal information. The reforms introduce a new 'fair and reasonable' test for data collection and use, a right of erasure for large digital platforms, strengthened consent standards, a statutory controller/processor framework, restrictions on trading personal data, and enhanced data breach obligations. These changes come at a time when em

Australia's privacy framework is undergoing its most significant transformation in nearly four decades with the release of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026. The Bill introduces a new "fair and reasonable" test for handling personal information, establishes a controller-processor framework, and creates a right of erasure for large digital platforms. Core definitions including personal information, sensitive information, consent, and de-identification are being comprehensively overha

Australia's privacy laws are undergoing significant reform, with new automated decision-making transparency requirements commencing in December 2026 and further substantial changes under consideration. Businesses must prepare for enhanced regulatory scrutiny, increased litigation risk through the new statutory tort for serious privacy invasions, and potential expansion of obligations to small businesses and employee records.

Almost a year after the Government announced that it agreed or agreed in-principle with 106 of the 116 recommended reforms in the Attorney-General’s Department Privacy Act Review Report 2022...

Almost two years after a relatively modest set of Privacy Act reforms were passed in late 2024 (Tranche 1 Reforms) (more on these here), the Australian Government has released an exposure draft...

Australia's new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, which commenced in June 2025, is being tested against emerging AI-powered smart glasses technology that can record audio and video discreetly. As these devices become more sophisticated and less detectable, questions arise about whether current privacy laws adequately protect individuals from covert surveillance and data collection in both public and private settings.

The Australian Privacy Commissioner has determined that Monash IVF and a telehealth company have interfered with the privacy of website visitors via tracking pixels, without obtaining end-user consent.