Australian Privacy Principles (Simplified)

The Australian Privacy Principles (or APPs) are the cornerstone of the privacy protection framework in the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). They apply to any organisation or agency the Privacy Act covers. There are 13 Australian Privacy Principles and they govern standards, rights and obligations around:

• the collection, use and disclosure of personal information;
• an organisation or agencys governance and accountability;
• integrity and correction of personal information; and
• the rights of individuals to access their personal information.

 The Australian Privacy Principles are principles-based law. This gives an organisation or agency flexibility to tailor their personal information handling practices to their business models and the diverse needs of individuals. They are also technology neutral, which allows them to adapt to changing technologies. A breach of an Australian Privacy Principle is an interference with the privacy of an individua and can lead to regulatory action and penalties. The simplified Australian Privacy Principles include 60 requirements across 13 principles, which are:

• APP 1 - Open and transparent management of personal information
• APP 2 - Anonymity and pseudonymity
• APP 3 - Collection of solicited personal information
• APP 4 - Dealing with unsolicited personal information
• APP 5 - Notification of the collection of personal information
• APP 6 - Use or disclosure of personal information
• APP 7 - Direct marketing
• APP 8 - Cross-border disclosure of personal information
• APP 9 - Adoption, use or disclosure of government related identifiers
• APP 10 - Quality of personal information
• APP 11 - Security of personal information
• APP 12 - Access to personal information
• APP 13 - Correction of personal information