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ARTICLE · 08 MAY 2015

Privacy Awareness Week day 2 – dealing with unsolicited personal information

Cooper Grace Ward
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The Australian Privacy Principles require certain steps to be taken when handling unsolicited personal information.

AustraliaPrivacy
Charles Sweeney
Charles Sweeney
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Have you ever found yourself the recipient of personal information without asking for it? For example:

  • misdirected mail;
  • emails accidentally copied to you;
  • employment applications sent to you that are not in response to an advertised vacancy; and
  • receiving more information from clients than you asked for (e.g. detailed financials).

If you have, it might be classified as unsolicited personal information under the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). The APPs require certain steps to be taken when handling unsolicited personal information, including:

  • determining whether the information could have otherwise been collected;
  • destroying or de-identifying the information in certain circumstances; and

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