The Australian Government has tabled the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, representing a limited step towards updating privacy laws following a comprehensive review of the Privacy Act. Despite prior commitments to over 100 changes aimed at boosting online safety for Australians, the Bill includes only a few initial measures, such as a Children’s Online Privacy Code. This code, to be crafted by the Australian Information Commissioner, seeks to mitigate conflicts of interest in children’s data handling and requires consultation with child safety experts. According to Mark Dreyfus MP, “The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 is a significant step forward for Australian privacy law. It begins the much-needed work of updating our privacy laws to be fit-for-purpose in the digital age”.

However, the Bill falls short of the sweeping reforms needed to address contemporary digital challenges. Critical protections against data trading and targeted ads, especially those exploiting children’s vulnerabilities, remain unaddressed. This is concerning as companies like Meta use advanced data analytics to target children, raising ethical questions about privacy and safety. The necessity for comprehensive reforms is urgent to ensure that the protection of individuals, particularly children, is prioritised over commercial interests in Australia’s out-of-date privacy framework. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner highlights that “A key initiative in the Bill is a mandate for the OAIC to develop a Children’s Online Privacy Code, which would centre children in the debate around privacy in Australia and help to harmonise protections with those children already benefit from in other countries such as the UK”.

The new Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 is an important step in improving data privacy in Australia. Many people will be looking to see how the government protects personal information while dealing with the power of big technology companies.

Source: Fare