Strong privacy laws are essential to Australians' trust and confidence in the digital economy and digital services provided by governments and industry.

However, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) has not kept pace with the changes in the digital world. The large-scale data breaches of 2022 were distressing for millions of Australians, with sensitive personal information being exposed to the risk of identity fraud and scams.

Following those breaches, the Australian government acted swiftly to significantly increase penalties under the Act for serious or repeated privacy breaches and give the Australian Information Commissioner improved and new powers.

The Australian people rightly expect greater protections, transparency and control over their personal information and the release of this report begins the process of delivering on those expectations. The government is now seeking feedback on the 116 proposals in this report before deciding what further steps to take.