In our final post for Privacy Awareness Week (PAW), we share our five highlights and observations from the week.
1. A privacy win during PAW
The timing may have been coincidental, but we’ll take it. There was a notable win for privacy this week with the Senate Committee that reviewed the Government’s inter-agency data sharing law – the Data Availability and Transparency Bill – recommending the bill not be passed in its current form, noting a need for stronger privacy protections and security measures (among other things).
Our advocacy for greater attention to the privacy risks in the bill (as part of a collaborative submission with other privacy colleagues) was quoted in the Senate Committee’s report and in the news media this week.
2. Momentum building
We were energised to hear this week just how much focus and attention there is on privacy, particularly from a regulatory perspective. At a panel of regional privacy regulators hosted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals on Tuesday, we got insight into the breadth of activity currently underway.
At the Commonwealth level, clearly the focus is on the review of the Privacy Act. The States and Territories are also running various projects to bolster privacy protections, from the privacy officers project in Victoria, mandatory breach reporting in NSW and privacy champions network in Queensland, to the focus on managing privacy in complex cross-cultural contexts in the Northern Territory.
Overseas, New Zealand is looking at improvements within its public sector, the Philippines will be launching a privacy mark and Singapore is implementing its new data protection law.
Many of the regulators on Tuesday also expressed the view that it is time for everyday Australians to make privacy a priority and realise that every time we hand over our data, we’re not only making an individual decision but also contributing to the future fabric of our society.
3. Privacy spat!
What better way to draw attention to trust and transparency during PAW than a stoush between two technology platforms over privacy.
Signal and Facebook went at it after Signal used Facebook’s own advertising platform to create ads that exposed the categories Facebook uses to classify users. The ads appeared as placards and contained customised messages such as: “You got this ad because you’re a certified public accountant in an open relationship. This ad used your location to see you’re in South Atlanta. You’re into natural skin care and you’ve supported Cardi B since day one.”
Facebook labelled the move a stunt, while Signal claimed Facebook disabled its account as a response. Either way, fantastic timing for PAW.
4. Privacy is precious
Speaking of ads, our attention this week was drawn to New Zealand’s TV commercial for privacy, created to raise awareness of its new Privacy Act, which came into operation in December 2020. The ads feature the theme “Privacy is precious” and are at once simple to understand while being wonderfully evocative. Check it out here.
The Kiwis have a great track record of pumping out great videos to raise awareness – see the Air New Zealand air safety videos and New Zealand Government online safety ads. Perhaps it’s time to add “privacy advertisements” to the list of cross-Tasman rivalries, which already includes cricket, rugby and netball. Can Australian creatives take up the charge and create an even better pitch to help the Australian community prioritise privacy?
5. Hurray for privacy drinks
Finally, it was great to celebrate Privacy Awareness Week with an old-fashioned drink with friends and colleagues. elevenM hosted drinks at O Bar in Sydney on Wednesday night, and we were thrilled to be back together in person with so many of our valued friends, clients, partners, colleagues, and other fellow travelers in attendance.
It reminded us what a diverse and vibrant community we have and filled us with inspiration and optimism about the future, as we work together to solve some of the most complex issues of our time. Thanks to all who came, and we hope those that couldn’t will make it next time.