Privacy Law Phone-In @ 25c A Minute
Privacy Law Phone-In @ 25c A Minute
May 31, 2006:The Australian Law Reform Commission is carrying out an anonymous public phone-in to discuss Federal Privacy laws.
Thursday June 1st and Friday June 2nd will see the ALRC's phone lines inundated with calls from people who can afford 25-cents per minute to comment on the the Federal Privacy Laws.
Called tellingly, "National phone-in to probe privacy pitfalls", the ALRC is framing that the purpose of the forum: '…is to gather information on public perceptions of privacy protection.'
"Privacy is not just an issue for experts or specialists-it's an issue that affects everyone. We readily give away private, personal information every day when we pay our bills on-line, go to the doctor, sign a petition or enter a competition' , said ALRC President, Professor David Weisbrot.
"Most of our current Privacy Act dates back twenty years-before mass marketing databases, internet shopping and electronic health records. We want to know whether the public believes that our laws and practices are effective at protecting privacy in the face of these new technologies."
Professor Weisbrot said that the ALRC is also interested in hearing from people responsible for compliance with privacy legislation. "The Phone-In isn't just for individuals. We're also interested in hearing from business people about how easy it is to understand their obligations. We have already heard that the system is unnecessary complex, with different federal, state and territory laws and excess red tape, making compliance confusing and expensive."
The lines to 1300 653 418 are open between 9:00am and 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 June 2006 - with a maximum call charge of 25c. Comments can also be provided online at www.alrc.gov.au.
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