The IAPP Global Privacy Summit I posted about last week wrapped up on Thursday. Here are a few highlights from the day:

This year’s opening keynote speeches on day two of the International Association of Privacy Professionals Global Privacy Summit in Washington DC were by Tristan Harris and JD Vance.

The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Global Privacy Summit in Washington DC is probably the biggest event on the annual privacy calendar.

A recent data breach provided an example of how it is sometimes possible to catch a breach as it is happening and avert potential harm.

We live in an age where agencies collect and hold a lot of information about us. When we then request access to that information, this places demands on the time and resources of agencies to meet their obligations under the Privacy Act. Agencies sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed when responding to requests for personal information -  especially where a high volume of information is held.

When Ross Compton’s house caught fire in September 2016, he was able to escape unscathed, with a suitcase full of clothes and the charger for his external heart pump. But when the 59-year-old US man explained to arson investigators how he’d broken the window with his cane and hurled his most important belongings out the window before scrambling to safety, they weren’t convinced. And so, in a twist that would have been science fictional a few years ago, they interrogated his heart.  

There has been a significant amount of media coverage about our investigation into Westpac bank disclosing journalist Nicky Hager’s bank account information to Police in 2014. In the course of that reporting, some misconceptions have emerged. Because of the interest in the case, and the potential implications for future practice, we have noted some points of clarification and context below.

A recent data breach involved a deliberate email phishing* attack on an industry organisation. The email purported to come from the chief executive and requested a copy of the membership list (names and email addresses).