by Catherine Fitzpatrick

For domestic violence victim-survivors, a data or privacy breach can be extraordinarily dangerous

A suite of recent cybersecurity data breaches highlight an urgent need to overhaul how companies and government agencies handle our data. But these incidents pose particular risks to victim-survivors of domestic violence. The onus is on service providers – such as utilities, telcos, internet companies and government agencies – to ensure they don’t risk the safety of their most vulnerable customers by being careless with their data. Read More

by APF Webmaster

Surfveillance: Swellnet’s SurfCam at Winki Pop

In collaboration with the SurfRider Foundation Surf Coast Branch, Australian Privacy Foundation (APF) Vice-Chair Dr Monique Mann, and APF Surveillance Committee member Dr Ian Warren, have prepared a report that examines a SurfCam that is owned and operated by Swellnet PTY LTD, and is fixed to a private residence on the cliffs overlooking the Bells Beach Surfing Recreational Reserve (BBSRR) on the Surf Coast of Victoria. SurfCams provide surfers with the ability to remotely view surfing conditions and decide whether, when, and where to go surfing. They have the potential to create impacts across social, environmental, economic, and human rights domains. This analysis shows where legal and regulatory reform could occur to regulate the surveillance of public land for private commercial gain. We outline recommendations and proposals for removal of the camera, regulatory reform, and future research. Read More

by Katharine Kemp

Popular fertility apps are engaging in widespread misuse of data, including on sex, periods and pregnancy

Fertility apps collect deeply sensitive data about consumers’ sex lives, health, emotional states and menstrual cycles. And many of them are intended for use by children as young as 13. An analysis by UNSW’s Katharine Kemp has uncovered a number of concerning practices by these apps including: confusing and misleading privacy messages, a lack of choice in how data are used, inadequate de-identification measures when data are shared with other organisations, and retention of data for years even after a consumer stops using the app, exposing them to unnecessary risk from potential data breaches. Read More

by Katharine Kemp

Proposed privacy reforms could help Australia play catch-up with other nations. But they fail to tackle targeted ads

In the recently released Privacy Act Review Report, the Attorney-General’s Department makes numerous important proposals that could see the legislation, enacted in 1988, begin to catch up to leading privacy laws globally. However, the report’s proposals on targeted advertising don’t properly address the power imbalance between companies and consumers. Instead, they largely accept a status quo that sacrifices consumer privacy to the demands of online targeted ad businesses. Read More

by Bruce Baer Arnold

Government’s privacy review has some strong recommendations – now we really need action

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus yesterday released a report with 30 proposals for updating Australia’s privacy regime. The proposals are practical, necessary and overdue. However, they are just proposals, which have been made several times in the past before disappearing into the “too hard basket” of the Australian, state and territory governments.
We can expect to see lots of noise about specific proposals and hope the Albanese government (copied by state/territory counterparts) gives us the legislation we need. Read More