Australia: Data Protection

Two young men face criminal charges after allegedly accessing confidential Commonwealth Bank customer records without authorisation, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's banking details. The case highlights how everyday employees with legitimate system access can face serious criminal penalties under NSW privacy laws, even when sophisticated hacking tools aren't involved.

You must consider privacy responsibilities if your business collects personal information. Importantly, this includes ensuring that you do not disclose any inaccurate personal information to third-parties.

Australia's automotive sector faces intensifying privacy scrutiny as the OAIC launches its first compliance sweep targeting car dealerships and signals active investigations into connected vehicle manufacturers. With modern vehicles collecting thousands of data points and 93% of new cars expected to be connected by 2031, manufacturers, importers and dealers must urgently address transparency, consent and cross-border data flow obligations under the Privacy Act.

Employers can dismiss employees for key jamming if clear remote work policies exist, a thorough investigation is conducted, and a fair disciplinary process is followed.

Poor decision-making, whether failing to share or over-sharing, can lead to regulatory action, reputational damage and safeguarding failures.

NDIS providers in Australia are subject to strict privacy obligations under both the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the NDIS Practice Standards, requiring robust handling of participants’ sensitive personal information.

In today's digital economy, data has emerged as a critical intangible asset shaping business strategy, fueling technological innovation, and contributing to economic and social benefits.

On 29 September 2025, Australian Clinical Labs (ACL) and the OAIC informed the Federal Court of Australia that they had reached agreement on a $5.8 million penalty arising from ACL's 2022...

The Federal Court has ordered Australian Clinical Labs (ACL) to pay AU$5.8 million in civil penalties following a 2022 data breach involving its then-newly acquired Medlab Pathology business.