Tech Council Statement on Modernisation of Privacy Legislation

The Tech Council has consistently supported the modernisation of Australia’s privacy legislation to ensure it is fit-for-purpose in a digital age.

We have been supportive of many of the proposals put forward in the Privacy Act Review that the Government has agreed and agreed in-principle to.

The Privacy Act reforms are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to safeguard the personal information of Australians and catch up with the rest of the world.

While there have been delays and uncertainty leading up to the introduction of the Privacy Bill, it is encouraging to see the Government take steps to introduce the first tranche of privacy reforms.

However, the Bill that was introduced today is missing some fundamental and crucial inclusions, such as the adoption of controllers/processors, which should have been introduced as a priority.

The concept of controllers and processors is a bedrock distinction in effective privacy regimes globally.

Strong privacy laws will help protect the personal information of Australian citizens and work to build confidence in our digital ecosystem, at a time when it is more important than ever to get it right.

We look forward to continuing our engagement with the Government on the Bill’s provisions, including on Automated Decision Making, and strongly encourage the Government to undertake the next tranche of reforms with improved consultation and engagement to ensure the effectiveness of the privacy reforms.