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ARTICLE · 02 SEPTEMBER 2023

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Do Australian privacy laws apply to me?

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The Privacy Act governs the way certain businesses and federal agencies handle, use and manage personal information.

AustraliaPrivacy
Michael Deacon
Michael Deacon
Nadine Martino
Nadine Martino
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Clients regularly ask us whether they need to comply with Australian privacy laws.

This question most often arises in the context of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), which is the key source of Australian privacy law at the federal level. The Privacy Act governs the way certain businesses and federal government agencies must handle, use and manage personal information. This is largely through the Australian Privacy Principles set out in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act.

If you are an Australian business with an annual turnover greater than $AU3 million you will need to comply with the Privacy Act. You may also be required to comply if you have a turnover of $AU3 million or less but fall into a special category of business as defined by the Privacy Act.

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