In a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim made recommendations to the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR) Bill 2011. Pilgrim recommends that the Privacy Act be amended to confirm that the information commissioner may investigate anyone who has "contravened a civil penalty provision in the PCEHR Bill," that the commissioner may invoke the investigative powers provided under the Privacy Act and that the bill clarify the complaints-handling process for privacy issues, among other recommendations.
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Organisations should make sure their privacy practices are up-to-date and customers' personal information is secure to avoid embarrassing privacy breaches in 2012, says Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim. "The effects of a privacy breach on business reputation can be significant. In 2011, we saw a number of businesses suffer from a loss in consumer confidence after major privacy breaches occurred," Pilgrim said. His office has published a Data Breach Guide in an effort to help organisations. Coinciding with Data Privacy Day tomorrow, the commissioner is also reminding students heading back to school to review their social media privacy settings.
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A legal expert is warning that data located in Australia but owned or handled by a U.S. company could be accessed under the USA PATRIOT Act, even if it violates National Privacy Principles, Computerworld reports. Attorney Connie Carnabuci says U.S. authorities have the ability to access data stored outside of the U.S. if they can establish a sufficient connection with the U.S and that though a formal subpoena process is in place, an informal request for information would allow for some disclosures. However, companies may have the option of requesting an exemption in some cases, Carnabuci says.
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The Wall Street Journal reports on Google's revisions to its privacy policy, suggesting the changes could make it more difficult for online users to remain anonymous. The new policy indicates Google's decision to start combining the information it collects on an individual user to provide better services to customers, according to the company. "We'll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience," said Alma Whitten, director of privacy. The changes take effect March 1. Regulators in Ireland, France and elsewhere have taken note, Bloomberg reports. Deputy Data Protection Commissioner of Ireland, Gary Davis, said his agency will further assess "the implications of the changes." (Registration may be required to access this story).
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