THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
MEDIA RELEASE
DATA PRIVACY DAY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOVERNMENT TO RECONSIDER PRIVACY ALERTS
The Abbott Government should use Data Privacy Day as an opportunity to rethink their opposition to Labor's Privacy Alerts Bill.
The Bill would require companies and government to notify Australians when their privacy is breached and their personal information is released without authorisation.
The Government supported Labor's legislation from opposition but have refused to back our Private Senators Bill.
In 2013 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security recommended that if the Government was to pursue any data retention regime the legislation should include a mandatory data breach notification scheme.
Senator Brandis was a member of the Intelligence Committee when that recommendation was made.
In his submission to the Intelligence Committee inquiry into data retention the Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has reiterated the need for a mandatory data breach notification scheme.
Labor's Privacy Alerts Bill is currently before the Senate. The Government should support and pass this bill as a matter of priority.
Alerting Australians when their privacy is breached will mean they have the opportunity to change their passwords, improve security settings, or cancel credit cards.
Mandatory data retention will dramatically increase the amount of information telecommunications companies hold. Any increase in the collection of Australians information should be accompanied by robust safeguards to protect that information.
Data Privacy Day is an initiative of the United States based National Cyber Security Alliance that encourages businesses to be open and honest about how they share personal information.
WEDNESDAY, 28 JANUARY 2015
