Privacy laws can be broadly classified into
General privacy laws - Which have an overall bearing on the personal information of individuals and affect the policies that govern many different areas of information.
Specific privacy - Are laws are designed to regulate specific types of information. Some examples include:
Specific privacy - Are laws are designed to regulate specific types of information. Some examples include:
- Health privacy laws
- Financial privacy laws
- Online privacy laws
- Communication privacy laws
- Information privacy laws
- Privacy in one's home
Information privacy laws
The UK Information Commissioner's Office has fined a health trust for publishing sensitive details of its 1373 employees online.
Torbay Care Trust in Torquay, Devon, was fined £175,000 ($AU258,000) for publishing a spreadsheet with staff responses to equality and diversity questions, as well as personal data such as names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, religion and sexuality.
The commissioner's office said the spreadsheet was put onto the trust's website in April last year but was only spotted after a member of the public reported its existence 19 weeks afterwards.
Torbay Care Trust in Torquay, Devon, was fined £175,000 ($AU258,000) for publishing a spreadsheet with staff responses to equality and diversity questions, as well as personal data such as names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, religion and sexuality.
The commissioner's office said the spreadsheet was put onto the trust's website in April last year but was only spotted after a member of the public reported its existence 19 weeks afterwards.
Financial Privacy
Jimboomba resident Darren Starkey was shocked to receive more than 40 pages of Commonwealth Bank customers' April financial statements when he received his own in the post on May 21.
The statements detailed the names, addresses, bank account numbers, loan details and financial transactions of 19 people who were unknown to Mr Starkey and lived throughout the state.
The breach was serious because the type of information on bank statements was the type of information that could be manipulated for identity fraud.
The spokeswoman blamed the breach on a "technological manual part of the process" failing.
The statements detailed the names, addresses, bank account numbers, loan details and financial transactions of 19 people who were unknown to Mr Starkey and lived throughout the state.
The breach was serious because the type of information on bank statements was the type of information that could be manipulated for identity fraud.
The spokeswoman blamed the breach on a "technological manual part of the process" failing.
Online Privacy
Facebook has attracted attention over its policies regarding data storage, such as making it difficult to delete an account, holding onto data after an account is de-activated and being caught sharing personal data with third parties. Potential dangers of misuse of technology in relation to and individuals privacy includes identity theft, sexual predators, stalking, unintentional fame, online victimisation and employment issues.
Twitter has admitted that they have scanned and imported their user's phone contacts onto the website database in order to learn more about their users. Most users were unaware that Twitter is created this way for new users to search for their friends. Twitter has stated that they will have their privacy guidelines illustrated more clearly in the future.
Twitter has admitted that they have scanned and imported their user's phone contacts onto the website database in order to learn more about their users. Most users were unaware that Twitter is created this way for new users to search for their friends. Twitter has stated that they will have their privacy guidelines illustrated more clearly in the future.
Communication privacy
The complainant suspected that they were under surveillance by a company that had mistaken the complainant for one of its employees. The complainant had a relative who did work for the company and who had been on leave for some time. The complainant became suspicious after they were followed and after the company had called their employer asking if the relative worked there.
The complainant wrote to the company requesting access to any recordings or photographs of them. After four weeks had passed without a response, the complainant wrote to the Privacy Commissioner requesting that the company destroy any recordings or photographs of the complainant or, alternatively, provide the complainant with access to their personal information.
The complainant wrote to the company requesting access to any recordings or photographs of them. After four weeks had passed without a response, the complainant wrote to the Privacy Commissioner requesting that the company destroy any recordings or photographs of the complainant or, alternatively, provide the complainant with access to their personal information.
Medical privacy
Medvet is owned by SA Health and provides DNA and drug testing services for private use, as well as selling home drug testing kits. Private information including addresses have been accessible via the search engine Google. Medvet says it is briefing a forensic team about the problem. It says Google seems to have found a 'hole' in the website and the breach is under investigation.
Privacy in one’s home
A 53-year-old man was charged with voyeurism offences after allegedly hiding a camera in a 23-year-old woman’s bedroom. The young woman discovered the camera and called police. It’s believed the camera was placed in the room earlier in the day. Officers searched a Fairlight home nearby owned the former boyfriend of the woman’s mother. They seized a number of items, including memory cards that all allegedly had footage of the woman’s bedroom.