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Welcome to this week’s privacy news from our region and beyond.

The big ticket item in Australia (and Canada!) this week has been the release of the findings of the joint investigation by Australia’s and Canada’s Privacy Commissioners into the Ashley Madison website (following its well-publicised hacking last year). Commentators have described the Commissioners’ findings about the website’s security and privacy practices as “scathing.”  

Leaving aside the moral question of whether a website that promotes extra-marital affairs had it coming, the investigation illustrates how privacy regulators can and do work together.  

Privacy professionals need to take heed. As the Australian Privacy Commissioner said in his media release: “Privacy and data are global challenges and international co-operation like this will become a key tool for the future of privacy enforcement.”

The investigation covers a lot of ground, from data security to data retention, from transparency to data accuracy. There are many good practical examples to keep in mind for your next training session. And as iappANZ’s Malcolm Crompton pointed out on Twitter,there’s an important reminder here for overseas companies whose services are supplied in Australia: You don’t need to have a physical presence in Australia to be regulated under the Privacy Act. If you have an “Australian link,” you are on the radar (for those of you who like a statute reference, see s. 5B(1A) of the Privacy Act).

Until next time. 

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