Office of the Privacy Commissioner | Update the Privacy Act to strengthen protections for people and help business, says Privacy Commissioner : Media release (2012)
27 March 2012
The Privacy Commissioner, Marie Shroff, has today welcomed the government's commitment to update the Privacy Act.
'Things have changed enormously since the Privacy Act was passed nearly twenty years ago,' said Ms Shroff. 'Privacy is as important to people as it's ever been. But the Act doesn't always give people the protection they expect and need, particularly in the context of modern technology. And it needs to do more to support businesses.
'The need for reform is urgent. We want people to trust the new ways in which business and government work. They won't do that unless they're sure that their personal information is properly safeguarded.
'The Law Commission has proposed a package of sensible, practical and balanced recommendations to amend the Privacy Act. These recommendations give greater certainty to businesses and open up new opportunities for them. They also allow more flexibility for government and provide real protections for people. They are modern tools for modern problems.'
'The Government has already made progress on information sharing to assist government agencies, and we now need the second leg of the double.'
The Commissioner supports the key recommendations made by the Law Commission. These include:
Privacy breach notification - to help people to protect themselves if their information ends up in the wrong hands and to make agencies accountable to their customers
Giving the Privacy Commissioner the ability to audit agencies, so she can see what's gone wrong and how to fix it
Getting problems fixed quickly, by enabling the Commissioner to require agencies to comply with the law (for example, strengthening security safeguards, issuing take-down notices, or ordering an agency to give people access to information about themselves)
More effective complaints procedures - for example by making it easier for the Commissioner to deal with class action complaints about systemic problems
Closing off highly offensive and damaging internet postings, such as intimate photographs taken of former partners
A statutory 'Do Not Call' register, so people can stop unwanted telemarketing calls
Additional protections for victims of crime and harassment
'I hope that the government accepts these recommendations and that it moves quickly to get the new law passed' said Ms Shroff.
ENDS
Contact: Katrine Evans - 021 175 0342
Notes for editors
For more information on some of the key recommendations, see the media statements that the Commissioner issued at the time the Law Commission report was published in August 2011. Her views have not changed:
http://privacy.org.nz/media-release-summary-of-law-commission-recommendations/
The Law Commission's report is at: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/project/review-privacy?quicktabs_23=report