Can someone put me on speaker phone without my permission?

If someone puts you on speaker phone, they should ask you first, and let you know who else will be listening to the conversation. This is not only the courteous thing to do but it is also the right thing to do both ethically and legally. 

The Privacy Act says when an agency is collecting your personal information, for instance by speaking with you, it needs to let you know what it is collecting and why. 

It also has to make sure that the way it collects information from you is not unfair or unreasonably intrusive, given the circumstances. Under some circumstances, putting a conversation on speaker phone without consent might fall into this category.

Another aspect of the law is that where an agency is dealing with personal information, it also has to take reasonable steps to make sure your information is kept secure. This includes, for instance, making sure only appropriate staff get to access, see or hear your information.

If you have any concerns about the way in which an agency has collected information from you, we suggest you get in touch with the agency to discuss your concerns in the first instance.

If you’re not satisfied with its response, and you believe the collection of your information in this way has caused you harm, then you may be able to make a complaint about this to our office.