NAID : News : Australian Privacy Commissioner Pushes for Stronger Data Protection Laws

AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY COMMISSIONER PUSHES FOR STRONGER DATA PROTECTION LAWS

In an article posted to website of ComputerWorld.com, Commissioner Karen Curtis is frustrated by continuing data breaches, Curtis said organizations need to be forced into securing data and their databases. Her recommendation for the new legislation is documented in a 786-page submission by the Office to the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) in response to its Discussion Paper 72: "Review of Australian Privacy Law". NAID-Australasia also submitted its recommendations to the ALRC during the period set aside for public comment.

Other recommendations in the Commissioner’s submission include creating codes for specific concerns that can be applied in addition to uniform privacy principles, in addition to minimizing exemptions from the country’s Privacy Act. The Commissioner also recommends more stringent requirements for the health sector and credit reporting, as well as the introduction of audits, according to the article.

NAID Executive Director Bob Johnson and newly appointed NAID-Australasia Chairman Van Karos will meet with Australia’s Assistant Privacy Commissioner Mark Hummerston on March 12th to initiate discussions on how the association and the Commissioner’s office might work together to increase awareness of the need for the protection of discarded records. Additionally, as in other jurisdictions, the association will push for support to include a definition of proper information destruction in any national data protection laws.

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