Several major changes to Australia's privacy laws took
effect on March 12, 2014. Amendments to the Privacy Act 1988
(Cth) introduced by the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy
Protection) Act 2012 (Cth) include: (i) broadening the scope of
coverage to foreign entities with no physical presence that have an
"Australian link"; (ii) enhancing enforcement powers for
the Information Commissioner; (iii) changing credit reporting laws;
(iv) recognizing external dispute resolution schemes; (v) allowing
the Information Commissioner to develop and impose binding Privacy
Codes; and (vi) most importantly, adopting 13 new Australian
Privacy Principles, which introduced significant changes regarding the use
and disclosure of personal information for the purpose of
direct marketing and cross-border disclosure of personal
information.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
