Review of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988
The Australian Government is conducting a review of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988. An Issues Paper for which submissions were sought was released in October 2020.
The Attorney General’s Department has now issued a Discussion Paper and is inviting submissions in response to any or all of the proposals and questions in the paper or any other matters relevant to the Review. Submissions are due by 10 January 2022
The Discussion Paper covers a broad range of topics, including:
- the scope and application of the Act
- the protections contained in the Australian Privacy Principles
- how the Act is regulated and enforced.
A copy of the Privacy Act Review Discussion Paper and details of how to make a submission are available here.
Online Privacy Bill Exposure Draft
The Australian Government has also released an exposure draft of the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Online Privacy and Other Measures) Bill 2021 (the Online Privacy Bill). The Online Privacy Bill addresses the pressing privacy challenges posed by social media and other online platforms. The Bill enables the introduction of a binding online privacy code for social media and certain other online platforms, and increases penalties and enforcement measures.
The government invites submissions on the Online Privacy Bill and consultation Regulation Impact Statement by 6 December 2021. Copies of the Online Privacy Bill Exposure Draft, Explanatory paper and Regulatory Impact Statement, and details about how to provide feedback are available here.