International Data Privacy Day this year will mark the 40th Anniversary of Data Protection Convention 108 (recently “modernised” as Convention 108+). To celebrate this event, the Council of Europe will be hosting a 90 minute Asia-Pacific virtual regional seminar on January 28th, featuring a range of speakers from Asia-Pacific civil society, governmental bodies, and privacy regulators, and civil society, including the Australian Privacy Foundation’s own Professor Graham Greenleaf. Read More
Submission in response to the Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper
The Australian Privacy Foundation (“APF”), along with the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (“QCCL”) and Electronic Frontiers Australia (“EFA”) have made a submission in response to the Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper released in July 2018. The rapid development of technology in the Australia human rights context requires careful consideration as technology can be… Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: Time To Stop The Privacy Trainwrecks
News that Facebook has given away personal information about many Australians is a reminder that we need businesses, governments and political parties to be accountable. Australians need better privacy protection. They can get that without a lot of pain, money or fuss. The Australian Privacy Foundation – on behalf of all Australians – calls on… Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: Australian Digital Rights Organisations Call For Politicians To Clarify Their Dealings With Cambridge Analytica
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE BY ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS AUSTRALIA, FUTURE WISE, AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY FOUNDATION AND DIGITAL RIGHTS WATCHIn light of the revelations that Cambridge Analytica has reportedly misused the data of over 50 million people on Facebook, Australia’s leading digital and civil rights advocates call on all Australian governments and political parties to categorically answer the following… Read More
Attorney General George Brandis declared “Villain” by Access Now for comments undermining encryption
Today, Access Now recognizes Attorney General George Brandis as a Villain among the annual Heroes and Villains Award recipients for his comments in opposition to strong digital security tools like encryption. As a leading official representing Australia in the notorious “Five Eyes” partnership, Attorney General Brandis has pushed publicly for requirements for companies to implement measures to allow law enforcement to bypass encryption protections for exceptional access to digital content. This type of access has been repeatedly demonstrated to undermine digital security globally, including and especially for the users in marginalized communities. Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: Big Brother Arrives By Public Transport
Are you going to kiss goodbye to your privacy every time you use a bus, train, or City Cat in Brisbane?
The Australian Privacy Foundation, the nation’s civil society organisation concerned with privacy, today strongly condemned proposals for biometric scanning of people using public transport in Brisbane.
Foundation spokesperson Dr Monique Mann said “comprehensive scanning will not work. It is not necessary. It is contrary to the right to privacy expected by all Australians”. Read More