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Introduction: The disclosure of information that identifies deceased organ donors and/or organ transplant recipients by organ donation agencies and transplant centres is regulated in Australia by state and territory legislation, yet a significant number of donor family members and transplant recipients independently establish contact with each other. Aim: To describe and synthesize Australian laws and guidelines on the disclosure of identifying information. Method: Legislation and guidelines relevant to organ donation and transplantation were obtained following a search of government and DonateLife network websites. Information about the regulation of identity disclosure was extracted and synthesised using a process guided by Walt and Gilson's (1994) policy analysis framework. Findings: Nineteen documents were examined. Six guidelines refer to and were consistent with current legislation. Four documents did not address identity disclosure. All jurisdictions prohibit healthcare professionals from disclosing identifying information. In three states, the prohibition extends to all members of the public including donor family members and transplant recipients. Conclusion: Restrictions on identity disclosure have implications for public promotion of donation and transplantation where sharing of stories and images of organ donors and transplant recipients is common. Further research is required to understand the perspective of donor family members, transplant recipients, and healthcare professionals impacted by the current laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C is a global public health threat, affecting 56 million people worldwide. The World Health Organization has committed to eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Although new treatments have revolutionised the treatment and care of people with hepatitis C, treatment uptake has slowed in recent years, drawing attention to the need for innovative approaches to reach elimination targets. One approach involves using existing notifiable disease data to contact people previously diagnosed with hepatitis C. Within these disease surveillance systems, however, competing tensions exist, including protecting individual rights to privacy and autonomy, and broader public health goals. We explore these issues using hepatitis C and Australia's legislative and regulatory frameworks as a case study. We examine emerging uses of notification data to contact people not yet treated, and describe some of the ethical dilemmas associated with the use and non-use of this data and the protections that exist to preserve individual rights and public health. We reveal weaknesses in rights protections and processes under Australian public health and human rights legislation and argue for consultation with and involvement of affected communities in policy and intervention design before notification data is used to increase hepatitis C treatment coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health and wellbeing of Australian Indigenous peoples is a nationally sanctioned priority, but despite this, few studies have comprehensively analyzed the features and characteristics of the research in the field. In this regard, a comprehensive scientometric analysis and knowledge mapping to systematically summarize and discuss the current state of research, research trends, and emerging areas of research were conducted. Original articles and reviews published between 2003 and 2022 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to perform scientometric analysis and knowledge mapping. An examination of document and citation trends, authors, institutions, countries/regions, journals, and keywords was untaken, while co-citation, cooccurrence, and burst analysis provide insights and future development in this area. A total of 2,468 documents in this field were retrieved. A gradual increase in the number of documents over the past two decades is observed, with the number of documents doubling every ~7.5 years. Author Thompson SC and Charles Darwin University published the most documents, and 85.6% were affiliated with only Australian-based researchers. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health is the most prominent journal publishing in the field. The most commonly co-occurring keyword was "health," and the keyword "risk" had the longest citation burst. Five keyword clusters were identified; "cultural safety" was the largest. This study articulates the knowledge structure of the research, revealing a shift from population-level and data-driven studies to more applied research that informs Indigenous peoples health and wellbeing. Based on this review, we anticipate emergent research areas to (1) reflect a more comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional factors that shape Indigenous health and wellbeing; (2) move beyond a deficit-based perspective; (3) respect cultural protocols and protect the rights and privacy of Indigenous participants; (4) address racism and discrimination within the healthcare system; (5) foster respectful, equitable, and collaborative research practices with Indigenous peoples; (6) provide culturally appropriate and effective interventions for prevention, early intervention, and treatment; and (7) ensure equitable change in systems to enhance access, quality, and outcomes in health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Australia, national policy prioritises the integration of clinical genetic data with networked electronic medical records (EMRs) for enhanced coordination of care and clinical decision-making. Objective: To examine the needs, privacy expectations and concerns of patients, family members, patient advocates and clinicians in relation to the use of networked EMRs for clinical genetic information. Method: Purposive sampling was used to recruit 27 participants for a semi-structured qualitative interview, primarily over Zoom. The interviews were audio and video-recorded and externally transcribed. Interview transcripts were then coded and analysed in NVivo, using an inductive thematic approach. Results: Thematic analysis revealed diverse preferences regarding genetic information access and handling across participants, with five core themes being identified: degree of access and control; central role of genetic professionals as information gatekeepers; complexities of familial implications; external risks; and law, governance and policy; all strong themes that emerged across numerous participants. Conclusion: This project yielded unprecedented and significant insights into the views, needs and concerns of key stakeholders in Australia regarding the inclusion of health-related genetic test results in networked EMRs. Implications: These findings provide a critical reference point for much-needed law reform and policy-making around genetic test results in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently passed Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Act 2022 (Cth) introduced important changes to the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) which increase penalties for serious and repeated interferences with privacy and strengthen the investigative and enforcement powers of the Information Commissioner. The amendments were made subsequent to a number of high profile data breaches and represent the first set of changes to the Privacy Act following the review of the Act commenced by the Attorney-General in October 2020. The submissions made to the review emphasized the need for more effective enforcement mechanisms to increase individuals' control over their personal information and as a form of deterrence. This article reviews the recent amendments to the Privacy Act and explains their effect. It comments upon the relevance of the amendments for health and medical data and other data collected in the context of healthcare, and refers to the Attorney-General's Department's review of the Privacy Act regarding other proposals relating to enforcement which have not as yet been put into effect in legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia's Privacy Act 1988 is under review with a view to bringing Australia's privacy laws into the digital era, more in line with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This article discusses how the GDPR can be refined and standardised to be more effective in protecting privacy in the digital era while not adversely affecting the digital economy that relies heavily on data. We argue that an ideal data policy should be informative and transparent about potential privacy costs while giving consumers a menu of opt‐in choices into which they can self‐select. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Omic" technologies have opened a new revolution in law enforcement and are now solving decades‐old cold cases as well as current investigations. The Golden State Killer case is probably the most notable of the cold case investigations that has been solved by one of the new "omic" technologies, namely forensic genetic genealogy. The resolution of this case epitomizes the power of the "omic" technologies to solve crime while simultaneously unearthing serious legal and ethical concerns around the individuals' privacy in the use of their genetic information. The legislation that is currently used by the state, territory, and Commonwealth jurisdictions in Australia to regulate the use of DNA for criminal investigation is now two decades old and does not address the application of "omic" technologies to criminal investigation. The Australian government is reviewing current privacy laws, and this review could include the use of "omic" technologies. In the absence of specific legislation, law enforcement must continue to develop processes to consider privacy, law, and ethics around the use of "omic" technologies for criminal investigation and the identification of human remains. This article is categorized under:Forensic Biology > Ethical and Social ImplicationsJurisprudence and Regulatory Oversight > Communication Across Science and LawForensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the contested terrain of protecting or providing biometric data in the workplace. Through a major case study in Australia, a decision to terminate employment on the grounds of non-consent for biometric data to be collected was overturned through the legislative system. The case is important in that it highlights the increased impetus to collect such data and the arbitrary nature of legal protection. However, the results of this significant case do provide improved clarity and guidance on the usage, collection, storage and management of biometric data. It also signals to management the need to understand employees' rights and their own obligations around the informational privacy of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines children's privacy and the Internet of Things (IoT). After describing the operation of IoTs directly marketed to and for children, we outline research concerning the surveillance of children and issues associated with children's right to privacy, including the role of parents or guardians in protecting their children's right to privacy. We then present the findings of a survey of Australian IoT consumers and non-consumers (n = 1,052), which shows parents and guardians who purchase IoTs care about their children's privacy and are concerned about practices of corporate surveillance. Finally, our data show that female parents or guardians have lower rates of privacy literacy than males. Analysed through the lens of data justice (Dencik et al. , 2016), we argue the protection of children's privacy rights must be understood with regard to broader structural factors, such as gender discrimination and digital housekeeping, and ultimately requires addressing corporate practices that characterise the contemporary surveillance landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the adequacy of the Australian Privacy Act in protecting against the misuse of personal images that are uploaded and shared on social networks. Specifically, this article evaluates the statutory protection that exists at state and Commonwealth levels for protecting personal images that are uploaded online. In particular, this article highlights that, while some protection exists, personal images that are uploaded and shared by individuals fall outside the scope of protection under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This leaves a vast number of personal images vulnerable to misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Australian Human Rights Commission proposed the enactment of a statutory privacy tort in the form recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission in 2014. Although both Commissions made their proposals in different contexts, their respective calls respond to the common threat that the rise of modern datadriven technology poses for privacy. The Government response to the ACCC reform announced that the recommendation would be further examined as part of a review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and related laws. At the same time, the ACCC's recommendation for a direct right of action under the Privacy Act was "support[ed] in principle, subject to consultation and design of specific measures". The renewed attention given to privacy law reform makes it timely to contextualise and evaluate the ACCC and AHRC proposals for a statutory tort and to assess the prospects of legislative action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platforms are integral to the lives of Australians. Although the main platforms are subject to Australian privacy law, the law fails to satisfactorily deal with the privacy threats posed by them. Serious weaknesses in the law were identified in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's report on Digital Platforms, which recommended reforms. Those weaknesses were confirmed, at least in part, by the Commonwealth Government response to the Digital Platforms report. This article explains and analyses the liability of platform operators under the most relevant Australian privacy laws: the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the action for breach of confidence. The article concludes with analysis and observations as to how Australian law relating to platforms might be reformed to more effectively protect the privacy of individual Australians whose information is processed by platform operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) is focused on information that relates to identified or identifiable persons. If understood narrowly, this approach risks failure to acknowledge the importance of data relating to multiple persons (group data) and its appropriate control within the framework of data governance. There is an increasingly urgent need to address this risk. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has already demonstrated how group data might have tangible impact: by shifting an understanding of priority and what constitutes a reasonable trade-off between individual and public interests. This article considers the extent to which governance mechanisms could, through the vehicle of existing privacy law, protect persons from potentially harmful uses of group data in a modern information economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy has been recognised nationally and internationally as a major challenge posed by the growing proliferation of drones, otherwise known as ‘remotely piloted aircraft’, ‘small unmanned aircraft’ or ‘unmanned aircraft systems’, with surveillance capability. Currently in Australia an uneven landscape of common law causes of action, surveillance statutes and data protection laws provide fragmented protection of privacy. This article compares that legal response with those of the United Kingdom and the United States. It identifies commonalities and differences between those approaches that may be instructive as Australia determines the appropriate response to the potential of invasion of privacy posed by this form of transformative technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that Australia's recently-passed data breach notification legislation, the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017 (Cth), and its coming into force in 2018, makes an internationally important, yet imperfect, contribution to data breach notification law. Against the backdrop of data breach legislation in the United States and European Union, a comparative analysis is undertaken between these jurisdictions and the Australian scheme to elucidate this argument. Firstly, some context to data breach notification provisions is offered, which are designed to address some of the problems data breaches cause for data privacy and information security. There have been various prominent data breaches affecting Australians over the last few years, which have led to discussion of what can be done to deal with their negative effects. The international context of data breach notification legislation will be discussed, with a focus on the United States and European Union jurisdictions, which have already adopted similar laws. The background to the adoption of the Australia legislation will be examined, including the general context of data privacy and security protection in Australia. The reform itself will be then be considered, along with the extent to which this law is fit for purpose and some outstanding concerns about its application. While data breach notification requirements are likely to be a positive step for data security, further reform is probably necessary to ensure strong cybersecurity. However, such reform should be cognisant of the international trends towards the adoption of data security measures including data breach notification, but lack of alignment in standards, which may be burdensome for entities operating in the transnational data economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionals, including social workers, in the child protection context are frequently required to make decisions on whether to share sensitive personal information about children, their families, and others with colleagues and across institutional and jurisdictional boundaries. Sharing information across agencies and organisations is essential to allow joined-up service provision and to effectively protect and support children and their families. A legal framework that supports this decision making is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for effective information sharing. This article examines the complex legal framework that governs information sharing across the Australian states and territories. It identifies a number of structural and regulatory elements that unnecessarily limit information sharing or have a tendency to create a culture that is risk averse, rather than proactive, in sharing information. The article suggests structural and regulatory reforms that would improve the legal framework for sharing information, while at the same time giving due recognition to the human rights that come into tension in this policy context: the right to privacy and the rights of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apps targeted at health and wellbeing sit in a rapidly growing industry associated with widespread optimism about their potential to deliver accessible and cost-effective healthcare. App developers might not be aware of all the regulatory requirements and best practice principles are emergent. Health apps are regulated in order to minimise their potential for harm due to, for example, loss of personal health privacy, financial costs, and health harms from delayed or unnecessary diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. We aimed to produce a comprehensive guide to assist app developers in producing health apps that are legally compliant and in keeping with high professional standards of user protection.Methods: We conducted a case study analysis of the Australian and related international policy environment for mental health apps to identify relevant sectors, policy actors, and policy solutions.Results: We identified 29 policies produced by governments and non-government organisations that provide oversight of health apps. In consultation with stakeholders, we developed an interactive tool targeted at app developers, summarising key features of the policy environment and highlighting legislative, industry and professional standards around seven relevant domains: privacy, security, content, promotion and advertising, consumer finances, medical device efficacy and safety, and professional ethics. We annotated this developer guidance tool with information about: the relevance of each domain; existing legislative and non-legislative guidance; critiques of existing policy; recommendations for developers; and suggestions for other key stakeholders.Conclusions: We anticipate that mental health apps developed in accordance with this tool will be more likely to conform to regulatory requirements, protect consumer privacy, protect consumer finances, and deliver health benefit; and less likely to attract regulatory penalties, offend consumers and communities, mislead consumers, or deliver health harms. We encourage government, industry and consumer organisations to use and publicise the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Australian privacy law and the disclosure of personal information. Topics discussed include the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that applies to use and storage of employee data; use or disclose personal information about clients data by practitioners and no use of information for direct marketing.

The article comments of the works of legal activist Tim McCoy in Community Legal Centres, on topics like Tim's creation of the Hobart Legal Service; his campaign to stop the Australian government's identity card scheme to protect privacy rights; and his opposition to the expansion of police powers.

When refugees displaced to Australia's offshore detention do speak, it is via violations of privacy and surveillance upended through publicity. Weak legal rights to privacy in Australia juxtapose the increasing secrecy under which the Australian state operates its own offshore detention centres (Manus Island and Nauru). Australia's institutional context accelerates concerns of authoritarian surveillance whereby we find an acceleration of prohibitive privacy for government and prohibitive transparency for individuals. Our analysis of such authoritarianism synthesises media-law in practice with theories of the management of visibility (Flyverbom 2016; Brighenti 2010) to decipher the socio-political context and effects of pervasive surveillance and its radical disclosure. Our contribution speaks to applicable privacy concerns for states grappling with invasive data collection and the prohibiting of the private voice of the surveilled, which we see as doubly acute for those left vulnerable in Australia's border zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the usage and risks of drones in agriculture in Australia. It discusses the certification by Civil Aviation Safety Authority which includes training, compliance and maintenance to ensure security and safety of the drone operator. Also mentioned are some issues associated with the use of this technology including the risks posed to people's safety, breach of privacy, and the nuisance caused by trespassing.

While the concept of body-mounted cameras (BMC) worn by police officers is a controversial issue, it is not new. Since in the early-2000s, police departments across the United States, England, Brazil, and Australia have been implementing wearable cameras. Like all devices used in policing, body-mounted cameras can create a sense of increased power, but also additional responsibilities for both the agencies and individual officers. This paper examines the public debate regarding body-mounted cameras. The conclusions drawn show that while these devices can provide information about incidents relating to police-citizen encounters, and can deter citizen and police misbehavior, these devices can also violate a citizen's privacy rights. This paper outlines several ramifications for practice as well as implications for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia has formally recognized the importance of digital identity and has raised the issue of reciprocal rights and duties between the government and its citizens. Australia is the first country to articulate digital citizenship in these terms. This paper considers the respective rights and duties of government and citizens that could be included in a digital citizenship charter, and the likely legal implications. The paper explores these aspects in relation to digital identity because of its increasing commercial and legal importance. The author argues that considering the consequences for individuals, the right to identity, as an international fundamental human right, should now be recognized and protected in relation to digital identity. The argument is presented that recognition and protection of this right is an essential component of a model of accountable and responsible digital citizenship. While the paper uses the Australian concept of digital citizenship as the basis for the discussion, the issues are relevant to all jurisdictions implementing e-government initiatives that require an individual to use digital identity for transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The issue of home care for older people is concerned with availability of information. Aim: To compare delivery of electronic health record (EHR) in home care for older people. Methods: An applied-comparative library study was conducted in 2015. The study population included Canada, Australia, England, Denmark and Taiwan. Data were extracted from literature related to EHR on home care and older people. Results: The main functions included collection, documentation of lab and imaging results. Common data elements were demographic information, prescriptions and nursing observations. Security needs were identified according to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act, enacted in Canada and the Privacy Act 1988 in Australia. Conclusions: The basic functions of EHR are determined as collection, documentation and retrieval of information. It is recommended that legislation protects access to information on personal health and implementation of a national unique identifier applicable to shared data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the laws aimed to govern personal privacy in Australia; reports the decision of the Australian High Court in the case 'Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd.;' and reports the common law concerning privacy.

The Internet of Things (IoT) heralds a new era of computing whereby every imaginable object is equipped with, or connected to a smart device allowing data collection and communication through the Internet. The IoT challenges individual privacy in terms of the collection and use of individuals' personal data. This study assesses the extent to which the Australian Privacy Principles protect individual privacy associated with data collection through the IoT. A systematic literature review identified four key privacy themes that represent issues related to the collection of individuals' data through the IoT: unauthorised surveillance , uncontrolled data generation and use , inadequate authentication and information security risks . These four themes are used to critically analyse the Australian Privacy Principle's (APPs) protection of individual data. Findings indicate that (1) the APPs do not adequately protect individual privacy of data collected through the IoT, and (2) future privacy legislation must consider the implications of global reach of IoT services, and ubiquity and security of IoT data collection with respect to individual privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian biobanks are largely autonomous and funded by local health care institutions, although some biobanks also receive funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). There is no formal biobank legislation, but the NHMRC has developed biobanking guidelines. The regulation of biobanks is mainly through privacy laws and human research ethics committees. Australia is moving toward the use of broad consent for biobanking. International data sharing is permitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how advances in technological culture challenging privacy issues; mentions the complex concept related to privacy law in Australia; and discusses invasion of privacy law in the country.

The article focuses on privacy regime in the Australian jurisdiction and its manifestation and mentions personal privacy treatment under the freedom of information laws of Australia. Topics discussed include the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth FOI Act) addressing personal privacy by use of the concept 'personal information;' right to obtain access to document of a minister or an agency under the act, and factors that favor disclosure of the information such as its use for justice.

Objectives. We investigated ethical issues in school-based immunization programs for adolescents and how they are addressed. Methods. We used qualitative methods and an ethnographic approach to observe 9 secondary schools on immunization days in South Australia in 2011; concurrently, we conducted 9 focus groups with female secondary school students, 6 semistructured interviews with parents, and 10 interviews with nurses and teachers. We explored ethical challenges from the perspective of these groups. Results. We identified ethical challenges for the delivery of adolescent immunization in a school-based setting in 3 main areas: informed consent, restrictions on privacy, and harm to students in the form of fear and anxiety. Conclusions. We found areas in which the design and delivery of school-based immunization programs can be improved. Information about immunization should be provided in ways that are appropriate to young people and their parents, and privacy protections should be enhanced when possible. Involving young people in the design and delivery of programs would assist with making these improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of previous inquiries identifying areas of concern in Australia's privacy law provisions, the Australian Law Reform Commission ('ALRC') recently devised a new tort that, if implemented, would better protect individuals from serious invasions of privacy. Although the tort was designed principally with new technologies in mind, there has been vociferous concern that such a tort might unduly inhibit press freedom. This response is familiar to United Kingdom ('UK') commentators who have seen the press, in particular, react similarly to common law developments in privacy law. Yet that experience has not been entirely unfavourable to the UK press; indeed, the jurisprudence discloses a generous treatment of the term 'public interest', which has kept interference with press activity to a minimum. In light of the reference to press freedom within the ALRC's proposed tort, and given the absence of an express constitutional provision protecting Australian press speech, this article argues that the UK experience shows how, counterintuitively, the ALRC's proposed tort could actually enhance, rather than diminish, press freedom protection in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the Telecommunications Interception Act 1979 (Cth), telecommunications data does not equate to private communications. Telecommunications data is viewed as the address on the envelope rather than the contents of a letter. As such, law enforcement and a range of Commonwealth, State and Territory government agencies can request and access such data from telecommunications and internet service providers without a warrant. However, recent media articles have revealed that the collection of telecommunications data by such agencies, in which authorisation for the disclosure of specified information is first required, has now progressed to a much larger scale through the technique of 'tower dumps'. This technique allows agencies to collect metadata generated from mobile phones on a mass scale by requesting telecommunication providers to provide all data collected at a particular mobile phone tower over a period of time a period of time. This article explores the issue of metadata collection from tower dumps to identify the warrant access requirements to such data and thus re-examines the complex balance between governmental law enforcement requirements and information privacy protections for individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the changing privacy regulations in Australia. Topics discussed include laws for protecting the effectiveness of human rights, domestic data protection and surveillance, laws for regulating cross-border corporate transactions, and the laws for protecting the privacy of social networking sites. It further discusses the private right of law enforcement of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Advances in information and communication technology are not only changing the way work is conducted but also influencing the development of human resource management (HRM) as a field of practice. In order to understand how HR managers are grappling with this issue we review the misuse of electronic communication in the workplace through the international literature and also recent court and tribunal cases in Australia. In particular, we consider the impact of new communication technologies in blurring of the boundaries between home and work and the way in which this is being dealt with by HR managers. In this paper we draw out the challenge of balancing the interests of employees and organisations, and outline the tension between HR as a strategic partner and employee champion. While not advancing a dystopian view, we argue that in many workplaces new surveillance technologies are being routinely utilised to increase employer control and that such low-trust practices are likely to be counterproductive and may undermine the profession of human resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the reported need for greater transparency and accountability in Australia's mental health and civil commitment systems as of 2014, focusing on open justice and an apparent call for Australian health tribunals to be required to publish commitment-related reasons more frequently. A right to privacy in Australia is mentioned, along with international human rights laws and service for mentally-ill individuals. The mental health laws in places such as Victoria are examined.

The article discusses the legal aspects of government databases and public health research in Australia as of 2014, focusing on public interest and the reported efforts to facilitate access to datasets of personal health information which is apparently held by government agencies in Australia. Privacy legislation and disclosure of information law are mentioned, along with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's "Principles on Open Public Sector Information."

The article discusses questions on the degree of privacy Australians are entitled while using the Internet. Topics covered include an analysis of social media platforms using cookie technology within the legal context in Australia, the debate on cookies, shifting the focus from online retailers to social media platform, and an examination of the "Australian Privacy Principles," which covers the collection, use, disclosure and storage of personal information, in the context of cookies.

The existing paradigms governing the management of personal data glo-bally are under pressure from rapid technological and social change. This article examines recent proposals for modernizing information privacy law in the USA the European Union, Australia and New Zealand. It finds significant areas of commonality and critically explores points of differ-ence, notably innovations such as the de-coupling of previously linked privacy principles, dichotomies between consumer-facing companies and third parties and new rights such as the right to be forgotten and to erasure, the right to data portability, privacy by design and default and privacy impact assessment. The article argues that the proposals ought to draw on each other's strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the importance of privacy discourse in addressing information flow and data control in Australia. Topics discussed include the relationship of data gathering with surveillance practices, violation of right of privacy in the widespread collection of big data, and the role of digital communication in information gathering.

The article focuses on privacy issues surrounding the use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Australia and the Australian privacy law. Topics discussed include the development of New South Wales Summary Offences Act 1988, High Court case Victoria Park Racing and Recreation Grounds Co Ltd v. Taylor, and the Australia Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 that aimed to regulate UAVs in civil and defense, as well as the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).

Genetic information is widely recognised as being particularly sensitive personal information about an individual and his or her family. This article presents an analysis of the privacy policies of Australian companies that were offering direct-to-consumer genetic testing services in 2012-13. The results of this analysis indicate that many of these companies do not comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and will need to significantly reassess their privacy policies now that significant new amendments to the Act have come into force. Whilst the Privacy Commissioner has increased powers under the new amendments, the extent to which these will mitigate the deficiencies of the current regime in relation to privacy practices of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies remains unclear. Accordingly, it may be argued that a privacy code for the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry would provide clearer standards. Alternatively it may be time to rethink whether a sui generis approach to protecting genetic information is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with many jurisdictions, Australia is struggling with the unique issues raised by genetic information in the context of privacy laws and medical ethics. Although the consequences of disclosure of most private information are generally confined to individuals, disclosure of genetic information has far-reaching consequences, with a credible argument that genetic relatives have a right to know about potential medical conditions. In 2006, the Privacy Act was amended to permit disclosure of an individual's genetic information, without their consent, to genetic relatives, if it was to avoid or mitigate serious illness. Unfortunately, additional amendments required for operation of the disclosure amendment were overlooked. Public Interest Determinations (PIDs) -- delegated legislation issued by the privacy commissioner -- have, instead, been used to exempt healthcare providers from provisions which would otherwise make disclosure unlawful. This paper critiques the PIDs using documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act -- specifically the impact of both the PIDs and the disclosure amendment on patients and relatives -- and confidentiality and the procedural validity of subordinate laws regulating medical privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]