Why conduct a privacy audit of your organisation?

Privacy and the use of personal information have been issues of increasing concern for most of the Australian population for many years now. With privacy concerns becoming a greater priority for Australian consumers, many businesses are opting to conduct an organisation-wide review to ensure that their own data collection, use and disclosure practices, such as their data storage, retention and destruction policies, comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Why is a privacy audit important?

With businesses facing increasing compliance costs across the board, many are asking whether an audit is actually worthwhile. The short answer is yes. Non-compliance with the privacy law is a liability for an organisation. The civil penalties payable for serious or repeated interference with an individual's privacy are not insignificant and can cost an organisation up to $2,220,000. Those penalties however are