The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) is the primary Australian legislation that protects the privacy of individuals, and restricts how government and industry can collect, use and disclose individuals’ personal information. In 2019, the Australian government made a commitment to conduct a review of the Privacy Act.

This review takes account of, and builds upon the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) Digital Platforms Inquiry (DPI) final report. The DPI report, published in July 2019, considered the impact of online platforms on advertising and the media, together with a number of related privacy issues from a consumer perspective. The DPI report proposed broad reform of the Privacy Act and several specific reforms.

In establishing this review of the Privacy Act, the Australian Government recognises that the issues raised in the DPI report apply beyond digital platforms. The digital economy is vital to Australia’s economic growth and prosperity. The ability to communicate and transact with individuals online has led to rapid improvements in the provision of goods and services by businesses and government.

The issues paper outlines current privacy laws and seeks feedback on potential issues relevant to reform during the Attorney-General's Department's review.

The deadline for submissions for the issues paper is 29 November 2020.