OAIC discusses Privacy Act reform

In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk discussed her office's hopes for pending Privacy Act reforms. Falk called current data handling practices "very complex and difficult to understand," creating the need for improved guardrails that "ensure all personal information handling is fair and reasonable." She added that requiring private and public entities to perform risk assessments and consider privacy before collecting data must become the standard rather than relying on user consent. Editor's note: The IAPP's Jedidiah Bracy, CIPP, reported on Australia's planned privacy reform.