(*This blog post has been substantially updated to amend its content with the finalised implementation date for the Privacy Act 2020).  

Employer’s failure to secure employee’s personal information results in $7000 pay-out

The information on this page is more than one year old and may no longer be current. Please visit our Privacy and COVID-19 page for the most up-to-date information.

The appellant, Arthur Taylor, sought access to his personal information held by the Department of Corrections, for the period 1 August 2014 – 5 September 2014. He was at the time a prisoner at Auckland Regional Prison, Albany. His request was broad, seeking:

Audiences in Auckland and Wellington were given a comprehensive overview of how the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was working after two years. The messages were particularly instructive because the speaker came from the European oversight body tasked with coordinating how the GDPR is being applied across the EU’s 27 member states.

A significant change in the Privacy Bill is a new privacy principle containing a series of controls on the disclosure of personal information to foreign agencies or persons. This is noteworthy because of the reliance that many businesses have upon cloud-based service providers, and the importance of free-flowing data globally.

I am very pleased to announce that former Chief Executive of Statistics NZ and Government Statistician Liz MacPherson will be joining the Office for one year in the role of Assistant Commissioner.

Organisations such as banks and GPs have access to a lot of personal information about their clients and patients. Unfortunately, sometimes employees with access to this information overstep the line. In recent years, we have received many complaints about situations where that line has been crossed.