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ARTICLE · 24 SEPTEMBER 2012

Privacy reforms pass House of Representatives - What does this mean for the private sector?

Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
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These proposed reforms may require changes to an organisation's privacy policies and existing contractual arrangements.

AustraliaPrivacy
Nick Abrahams
Nick Abrahams
Hamish McNair
Hamish McNair
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Reforms to the Privacy Act 1988

On 17 September 2012 the House of Representatives passed important reforms to the Privacy Act 1988. Key reforms include expanded powers of the Australian Information Commissioner and a new set of 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) to replace the current Information Privacy Principles for the public sector and National Privacy Principles for the private sector.

The APPs are high level principles which set out standards, rights and obligations in relation to the handling and maintenance of personal information. The APPs broadly follow the form and content of the exposure draft APPs, but contain a number of changes.

Significant changes to the Privacy Act create additional obligations

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