By Mike Worsnop and Tom Swindells - 6 Jul 2020
The Privacy Bill passed its third reading in parliament
and will come into force on 1 December 2020, repealing and
replacing the Privacy Act 1993.
The Privacy Act 2020 governs how personal information about
individuals should be collected, used and disclosed. It does not
make wholesale changes but seeks to modernise the law in this area.
There are however some new provisions including:
- An obligation upon agencies to notify certain privacy breaches
(including accidental disclosure or loss of personal
information);
- New criminal offences;
- Increased information gathering power for the Privacy
Commissioner; and
- The ability for the Privacy Commissioner to issue compliance
notices to require compliance with the Act.
Business owners and operators should ensure that they are aware
of their obligations under the new Privacy Act and have systems in
place to ensure that personal information is collected and used
lawfully. This should include a procedure for notifying
privacy breaches and for dealing with requests for access to, or
correction of, personal information.
If you would like to know more or require assistance with your
privacy policy and procedures please contact Tom Swindells or
Mike
Worsnop.