NSW Privacy Commissioner launches Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2019
The NSW Privacy Commissioner, Ms Samantha Gavel, officially launched Privacy Awareness Week NSW 13 to 19 May today.
Privacy in NSW – the next 20 years: Protection, Consent and Digital Government
Privacy Awareness Week is a global campaign that highlights the importance of privacy and raises awareness of public sector agencies about how to protect the personal information of the citizens we serve. Each year, the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) hosts a NSW campaign to raise awareness of privacy rights and obligations for the general public and public sector agencies.
While the future is at the centre of this year’s campaign as we focus on current and emerging privacy challenges, the Privacy Commissioner also reflected on the past and how much things have changed for the privacy agenda.
“When the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act was developed over 20 years ago, privacy challenges were limited to data protection on 3.5 inch floppy disks. In the next 20 years, we can only begin to predict what issues might arise with new technologies,” said Ms Gavel.
“As these new issues emerge, practices such as proactive reporting of data breaches help promote an organisational culture of privacy protection. It is therefore crucial to implement robust settings and have the right privacy protections in place. This involves addressing any new challenges and technologies whilst building trust in digital government.
“Social licence is critical to the management of personal information in order to help create trust in how personal information is used, disclosed or applied. Ethical principles should govern data usage in order to promote rights and accountability.” To learn more about privacy go to the Information and Privacy Commission NSW website: https://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/privacy/privacy-resources-citizens.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
IPC media team on 0435 961 691 or email communications@ipc.nsw.gov.au
About the NSW Privacy Commissioner
Samantha Gavel was appointed as NSW Privacy Commissioner on 4 September 2017. Her role is to promote public awareness and understanding of privacy rights in NSW, as well as provide information, support, advice and assistance to agencies and the general public.
Ms Gavel’s responsibilities include the preparation of reports recommending legislative, administrative or other action in the interests of privacy, in addition to conducting inquiries and investigations into privacy related matters.
About the Information and Privacy Commission NSW
The Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) is a separate agency. It supports the functions of the Information Commissioner and the Privacy Commissioner in respect of privacy and information access laws in NSW. For further information about the IPC visit our website at www.ipc.nsw.gov.au
