This week the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner published its "Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey." It has been three years since the last survey, and the 2023 version provides insights into how the events of recent years moved privacy into the spotlight for many Australians. Here are some of the highlights:

• Nine in 10 Australians "have a clear understanding of why they should protect their personal information, up from 85% in 2020."
• Of respondents, 21% rated their privacy knowledge as very good or excellent, and 57% said although they care about data privacy, they "do not know what to do about it."
• Two in five people said they feel the organizations they interact with "are transparent about how they handle their information," but 58% said they "do not understand" how their information is used by organizations.
• Of the 1,916 Australians surveyed, half believe, if they want to use a service, they have "no choice but to accept what the service does with their data." Yet 84% of respondents "want more control and choice over the collection and use of their information."

In her forward, Commissioner Angelene Falk said the report's findings "point to several areas where organisations can do more to build consumer trust. Trust is essential, as we know from our survey the level of trust in an industry sector impacts what information the community considers fair and reasonable to provide. ... We are on the cusp of the most significant changes to our privacy framework in over a decade, which presents an opportunity to ensure the protections the community expects are reflected in the law.

"The survey points to ongoing opportunities to enhance Australia's privacy framework, and there is strong support for government legislation that protects personal information. We need to consider the laws and practices that will uphold our fundamental human right to privacy and meet community expectations, while enabling innovation and economic growth.

"The OAIC will use the findings of ACAPS 2023 to inform our ongoing input into the review of the Privacy Act and to target our activities at areas of high concern among the community. We look forward to working closely with regulated entities to increase community trust and confidence in the protection of their personal information."

Local privacy professionals will be watching closely and looking forward to this review process as we approach the IAPP ANZ Summit 2023 in Sydney 28 and 29 Nov.

The gathering has been boosted by the announcement that the 60th Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum will be held adjacent to the ANZ Summit, 30 Nov. and 1 Dec., in Sydney. APPA representatives have been invited to join us at the ANZ Summit, and we hope to have several speaking and sharing their regional perspectives with the local audience at this important time.

Registration for the ANZ Summit is open now, and early bird rates are available for a limited time.