Queenslanders urged to be vigilant about privacy

This week marks Privacy Awareness Week and the Palaszczuk Government is urging Queenslanders to take care when they share information online.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath said rapid advances in digital technology had made it much easier to send, collect and combine our personal details.

“Privacy Awareness Week (15-21 May) is a timely reminder for us to make more informed choices about what we share and who we share it with,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“These days we are asked to provide all sorts of personal information online, including names, dates of birth, phone numbers, home and email addresses and credit card details.

“Our privacy is valuable and we need to reinforce the importance of protecting it. 

“That starts with each of us as individuals: we need to pause for privacy, care when we share and think before we click.”

Mrs D’Ath said the Palaszczuk Government was also very mindful of its obligations in protecting Queenslanders’ personal details.

“We need to ensure that how we collect, use, store and disclose that information complies with legislative safeguards,” she said.

“It is critical that government agencies strike the right balance between service delivery, public safety, information management and personal privacy.

“We also need to maintain and enhance community confidence in our capacity to protect information from improper access and use.”

The Palaszczuk Government has committed to completing a review of the Right to Information Act and Information Privacy Act to ensure they are appropriately meeting their primary objectives.

Mrs D’Ath said the acceleration of technological change posed significant challenges for protecting personal privacy both now and in the future, and it was important for this to be explored.

“This is an area of increasing complexity and we need to ensure that government policies, procedures and legislation keep pace with these developments,” she said.

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