Media Release: How to investigate privacy complaints - Privacy Commissioner issues new guides

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26 August 2008

The Australian Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, has launched new guides to assist organisations and agencies in investigating privacy complaints they receive.

"My Office has found that many of the privacy complaints we have received could have been resolved successfully by the organisation or agency that was the subject of the complaint," said Ms Curtis.

"It is to the benefit of the complainant and the organisation or agency involved for complaints to be dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible at an organisational level before my Office needs to become involved.

"By using these new guides, organisations and agencies will have a step-by-step checklist to work through that aims to help them develop efficient and effective processes to address complaints."

There are two guides that have been issued: one for private sector organisations, and one for Australian Government agencies.

The guides cover a number of steps to undertake when dealing with a privacy complaint, such as:

• determining if the complaint is about "personal information" as defined by the Privacy Act
• identifying the Privacy Principle the complaint relates to
• applying the law to the facts of the case
• communicating effectively with the complainant
• looking at any systemic procedural or policy issues the complaint raises.

"These guides are part of a large range of materials my Office has produced to assist the community," Ms Curtis said.

"All our publications are available from our website: http://www.privacy.gov.au/.

"My Office's enquiries line is also able to assist. Call 1300 363 992."