[LINK] Senate Report: Privacy Online
stephen at melbpc.org.au
stephen at melbpc.org.au
Thu Apr 14 15:32:04 AEST 2011
"The adequacy of protections for the privacy of Australians online"
The Senate
PDF The adequacy of protections for the privacy of Australians online
<http://aph.gov.au/senate/committee/ec_ctte/online_privacy/report/report.p
df>
11th April 2011. The rapid uptake of social networking technologies
since 2002 has substantially expanded the amount and type of personal
information that people are sharing online, while improvements in cloud
computing technology have made it possible to shift vast quantities of
personal data around the world to take advantage of cheap data storage.
Technology has also made it possible for companies to monitor the way in
which individuals behave online for marketing purposes. A combination of
these developments, and other online technological advancements has
exacerbated existing concerns with privacy protection in Australia, and
in some instances created new concerns.
Conversely, online technology has also enhanced the ability of
individuals and organisations to hide their personal information,
including their identity, in certain circumstances.
For example, it was reported in The Age that 'an industry has now sprung
up to protect the identity of those who own dubious websites'.
Furthermore, newer communications technologies, such as email, often
allow users to remain anonymous, or do not record the same data about
individual communications that was recorded with conventional
technologies, such as telephones. This has created new challenges for law
enforcement agencies, as the committee heard in evidence from the
Australian Federal Police and Attorney-General's Department.
The timeliness of the committee's examination of this matter is reflected
by the fact that it coincides with a number of reviews of privacy
regulation both in Australia and overseas.
In June 2010, the Australian Government released an exposure draft of
major amendments to the Privacy Act 1988, which reflect the first stage
of its response to the Australian Law Reform Commission's (ALRC) report
on Australian privacy law and practice.
The exposure draft was referred to the Senate Finance and Public
Administration Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 1 July
2011.
The committee understands that the government is also reviewing cyber
security and cyber crime in response to the recent House of
Representatives committee report Hackers, Fraudsters and Botnets:
Tackling the Problem of Cyber Crime.
The review will look at the practicality of implementing the
recommendations of the Standing Committee's report and will focus on
avenues to protect individuals, the community and the private security in
the online world. Although the government's review is broader in scope
than the committee's inquiry, there may be some common ground, as a
secure online environment with adequate privacy will help protect people
from identity theft or other online crime involving misuse of personal
information.
The committee's inquiry also coincides with the European Commission's
review of the general European Union legal framework on the protection of
personal data, as well as consideration by the Attorney-General's
Department of a mandatory data retention scheme based on that adopted by
the EU in 2006.
Furthermore, in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission released
a preliminary report in December 2010 on 'Protecting Consumer Privacy in
an Era of Rapid Change' and recommended a framework for businesses and
policymakers in dealing with consumer privacy issues.
Publication type: Report
Publisher Type: APO Member, Government or Gov agency
Coverage: Australia Permanent URL: http://www.apo.org.au/node/24534
--
Cheers,
Stephen
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