APF Newsletter 19 September 2021

Expansion of the APF Advisory Panel

The Australian Privacy Foundation enjoys the support of many leading Australians across many walks of life. We routinely draw attention to the standing of the APF's Patrons and Advisory Panel members when we make submissions.

The APF's policy positions have always been based on research and careful argument, and we believe that the quality of the Panel reinforces that positioning. We're delighted to announce a tranche of new members of that Panel.

Their greatly-abbreviated bios demonstrate great diversity. They include leaders in the protection of human rights in Australia:

  • the recently retired Human Rights Commissioner, Edward SANTOW
  • the 20-year CEO of Civil Liberties Australia, Bill ROWLINGS
  • sometime NSW Privacy Commissioner and consultant to the UN Privacy Rapporteur, now chairing APF's Int'l Ctee, Elizabeth COOMBS

And they're joined by:

  • world-leading author on the problems of AI, Kate CRAWFORD
  • retired Police Integrity Commissioner and justice advocate, Barbara ETTER
  • world-leading researcher in secure and privacy-enabling computing systems, Gernot HEISER
  • distinguished public affairs journalist, Kerry O'BRIEN

Their slightly longer Bios can be seen below, and on the Advisory Panel page.

The APF is an important player in countering the alarming shift towards authoritarianism and a technology-enabled surveillance society, which politicians, government agencies and corporations are bullying us into.

The support of such people is a vital contribution, for which we're very thankful. At the level of Boards and Committees as well, we need to continue broadening and deepening the APF's support-base,


Dr Elizabeth Coombs
CEO and senior executive of NSW government agencies until 2008, NSW Privacy Commissioner 2011-17, consultancies for the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy 2017-21, Member of the Global Privacy Assembly Advisory Panel

Prof. Kate Crawford
Leading international scholar of technology and society, with professorial roles around the world including USC Annenberg in LA, École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and Microsoft Research in NYC, Author of the award-winning 'Atlas of AI'

Barbara Etter APM
Retired senior police officer and lawyer with a strong interest in forensic science - Research Director, Assistant Commissioner and CEO of an Integrity Commission, strong advocate for integrity and justice

Prof. Gernot Heiser FTSE
World-leading UNSW researcher in trustworthy operating systems and commodity off-the-shelf hardware, delivering the foundations of secure and privacy-enabling computing

Kerry O'Brien
Distinguished public affairs journalist, with six Walkley Awards including for Outstanding Leadership and the Gold Walkley, and a strong commitment to public interest issues

Bill Rowlings OAM
Journalist, editor, editorial director, media adviser, co-author of a PR text-book and a history of civil liberties in Australia, co-founder and CEO of Civil Liberties Australia from 2003, media commentator on people's rights and governments' wrongs

Edward Santow FAAL
Industry Professor - Responsible Technology at UTS, former Human Rights Commissioner, major contributions to the rights of those in detention and the social implications of AI, previously CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Senior Lecturer at UNSW Law and Legal Officer at Australian Law Reform Commission.


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