The Australian Privacy Foundation has prepared a background brief on all the privacy omnishambles at the request of the UN Special Rapporteur on Privacy Professor Joseph Cannataci. This request arose following a meeting of civil society representatives in Sydney in late July 2018, where issues of privacy in Australia were discussed. In the brief, we… Read More
Law enforcement access to My Health Record data
This is a copy of a paper produced by the Parliamentary Library.It has been removed from the Library’s website. This is taken from a cached copy available on Google:Law enforcement access to My Health Record dataPosted 23/07/2018 by Nigel BrewParliamentary LibraryMy Health Record (MHR) was introduced in June 2012 by the Gillard Labor Government originally… Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: The biggest privacy risks to your My Health Record – the Government.
Whatever arguments are put up for and against My Health Record and the current push to make it opt-out, there are two inescapable facts: 1. My Health Record is a Federal Government owned, controlled and operated information system. The government collects your health data, never deletes it and will keep it for at least 30… Read More
APF joins a coalition of human rights groups and experts in calling on the Australian government to protect encryption
Today, the Australian Privacy Foundation joins with Electronic Frontiers Australia, Digital Rights Watch, Future Wise, and other domestic and international human rights organisations in asking the Australian government to not pursue legislation undermining encryption, and other tools, policies and technologies critical to protecting individual rights. The 76 organisations, companies, and individuals signatory to this open letter call on government officials to become proponents of digital security and work collaboratively to help law enforcement adapt to the digital era.
This letter was been initiated by global digital rights organisation Access Now. “Australia is facing a choice on cybersecurity and encryption: real security or false,” said Nathan White, Senior Legislative Manager at Access Now. “The country can either be the testing ground for policies that undermine privacy and security in the digital era, or it can be a champion for human rights, leveraging its relationships to raise cybersecurity standards for the next generation. The world is watching.” Read More
My Health Record: the case for opting out
Katharine Kemp, UNSW; Bruce Baer Arnold, University of Canberra, and David Vaile, UNSW Unless you take action to remove yourself from the My Health Record (MHR) system, the federal government will make a digital copy of your medical record, store it centrally, and, as the default, provide numerous people with access to it. If you… Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: For Sale – Your Privacy and Your Health Data
Did you know that the government is already buying health data from your GP? My Health Record (formerly known as the PCEHR) has been working since July 2012. Initially it was hardly used, which raises the question – if it’s so good why was it not promoted and used by GPs? Rather than address the… Read More
Media Release: Doctors, Lawyers, and Privacy Experts Denounce HealthEngine Sharing Patient Health Data With Non-GPs
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE BY ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS AUSTRALIA, FUTURE WISE, AND THE AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY FOUNDATIONEFA, Future Wise and APF today denounced the actions of HealthEngine and its doctor appointment booking system which has been sharing patient data with law firms, marketers, and other entities with the flimsiest pretense of patient consent. “If this ethically dubious behaviour… Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: Government’s “My Health Record”: No Consent Required? Opt-Out withdrawal of consent deadline is 15 October 2018
Has Canberra learned the wrong lesson from Cambridge Analytica: abusing ‘informed consent’ gives you a plausible excuse? Exploiting ignorance, inaction and misplaced trust gets you the Big Data?
Our advice on My Health Record, like that of Dr Katherine Kemp, a specialist in data privacy [1], is to Opt-Out while you still can: we now know that your once-off chance to protect your medical confidentiality begins on 16 July and expires on 15 October 2018. Read More
MEDIA RELEASE: Australian Privacy Foundation “seriously alarmed” about recent revelations that would allow Australian Signals Directorate to spy on Australians with even less accountability
The Australian Privacy Foundation is seriously alarmed about a recently revealed legislative proposal that would have Australia’s foreign signals intelligence agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), use its considerable powers to surveil, track, and hack Australian citizens without prior authorisation. This is a dangerous precedent that would remove an already inadequate oversight mechanism that our… Read More
APF Newsletter 20 April 2018
Dear APF Members,We’re pleased to pass on some details of recent work the APF has been undertaking, as well as changes to our Board and Advisory and Patrons Panel.Policy WorkThe APF has continued its efforts to influence policy decisions relevant to privacy, including robo-goverment and the social welfare system, the Productivity Commission’s proposals re open… Read More