Recap: Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2022

This year’s Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) NSW 2022 focused on agencies and citizens’ collective role in safeguarding privacy, the foundation of trust in government.

Privacy Awareness Week 2022 activities

Community Attitudes Survey into privacy

The Privacy Commissioner released the results of the 2022 Community Attitudes Survey into privacy. The survey is conducted every two years, and the results provide a broad and indicative sense of the public’s view of how privacy is regarded in areas such as data breaches by NSW government agencies, citizens’ awareness of their right to access their personal information, where to go to report the misuse of personal information or how to make a privacy complaint.

Some of the key findings from the survey include:

• 93% of respondents felt that it is important that NSW agencies protect their personal or health information
• 80% were concerned about data being shared or released inappropriately
• 57% were aware of their right to lodge a complaint or seek a review with an agency if they feel their privacy has been breached, a decrease from 63% in 2020
• 65% of respondents were aware of their right to access personal information from at least one of the agencies listed
• Respondents continue to have uncertainty about where they would go to access their personal information with 26% indicating that they were unsure, a slight increase from 24% on 2020
• 85% of respondents agreed that government should provide assistance when there is a breach of personal information by a government agency
• 17% indicated that they had been impacted by a data breach, and of those who had been affected, 37% of the instances had occurred at a NSW government agency
• Respondents impacted by a breach by a NSW government agency reported that the agency assisted them by informing them of the breach (59%) and providing advice on what to do next (54%).
• Over half (56%) of respondents were notified within six months of the data breach, 34% between six to 12 months and 10% of respondents being notified more than 12 months later
• Respondents indicated that common effects resulting from a breach were:
  • the need to replace identity documents (40%)
  • identity theft/fraud (37%)
  • the need to change passwords of online accounts (29%)
  • monetary loss (19%).

See the full list of findings in the IPC’s media release on the results.

Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2022 Public Sector Virtual Event: Insights and lessons – Preparing for MNDB

The virtual session on 3 May, which was hosted by the Privacy Commissioner, opened by the Attorney General, the Hon. Mark Speakman SC MP, and facilitated by Martin Stewart-Weeks (Public Purpose), focused on assisting NSW public sector agencies to prepare for the upcoming Mandatory Notification Data Breach Scheme.

The session included insights and lessons learned across government and external agencies with respect to data breaches, and the types of systems, policies and procedures agencies need to prepare ahead of the Scheme’s introduction in order to report breaches and notify those affected.

PAW 2022 Resources

The IPC released various new resources this Privacy Awareness Week:

Citizens

• IPC animation – 12 principles NSW government agencies must follow to protect your personal information
• IPC animation – 15 principles NSW public and private sector organisations must follow to protect your health information

Agencies

• Privacy Impact Assessment Questionnaire for Assessing Websites

PAW 2022 Champion Program

This year a total of 67 agencies joined the PAW Champion Program to support Privacy Awareness Week. The IPC would like to thank Champions for helping spread awareness of citizens’ privacy rights and agencies’ responsibilities under NSW privacy legislation.

Although Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2022 has ended, the importance of protecting privacy continues all year round.

It’s important to make sure your information is protected by keeping your personal information secure, regularly reviewing your privacy settings online and reporting any privacy breaches to the relevant NSW agency.

The IPC can help you understand privacy laws in NSW and give you information on how to protect your personal information and assert your rights. Learn more in our privacy resources for citizens.