Privacy a key focus in OAIC Corporate Plan 2019–20

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has made embedding and enforcing strong privacy safeguards in the Consumer Data Right a key focus in its Corporate Plan for 2019–20.

The plan, released last week, aims to increase public trust and confidence in the protection of personal information and access to government-held information.

Under the plan, the OAIC will also develop a code of practice for digital online platforms to provide stronger protections for Australians — including vulnerable people, such as children — and help agencies understand their freedom of information obligations and realise the benefits of proactively releasing information.

These activities fall under one of four strategic priorities outlined in the plan, including: advancing online privacy protections for Australians, influencing and upholding privacy and information access rights frameworks, encouraging and supporting proactive release of government-held information and taking a contemporary approach to regulation.

Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk said the Corporate Plan signals a shift in the way the OAIC operates and responds to changes in the environment it regulates.

“At a time when many believe institutional trust is in decline, our work to promote and uphold privacy and information access rights is critical to restoring community confidence in information handling and management,” Falk said.

“We are pursuing these goals in a rapidly evolving environment as the value and volume of data held by business and government continues to grow and global information-handling practices become increasingly complex.”

However, the OAIC is ”engaged and agile in responding to our changing environment and our efforts are targeted to address emerging and priority issues and meet community expectations, putting the community at the centre of what we do”, Falk added.

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