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Join the campaign for stronger privacy protections

Join the campaign calling on the government to introduce strong privacy reforms to protect all consumers.

 

Read more about how CHOICE collects and uses data in our privacy policy.

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Our privacy protections need a reboot

UPDATE: We've delivered this petition, but you can still add your support by joining the campaign for updates!

When our privacy laws were written in the 1980s, most businesses weren’t collecting much more personal information than what you could find in the phonebook. But things have changed a lot since then. From email addresses and IP addresses to shopping behaviour, browsing history, and even biometric data like facial features and genetic code, businesses are now collecting so much data they could have a phonebook's worth for every user. 

All this information gives businesses a massive amount of power over us – they can manipulate us into spending more, exclude people from goods and services based on personal characteristics, and track and analyse our private values, beliefs, and activities. And from secretive on-selling of information to the risk of security breaches, it’s impossible for many of us to even know who has access to our personal data. 

After decades of our privacy laws lagging behind, we finally have an opportunity to change this. The government has endorsed major changes to the Privacy Act, and we're expecting the first round of changes this year. But resetting this power imbalance to create a fairer and safer system won’t be easy. 

Big businesses are already pushing back hard on any changes that would hold them accountable for how they use your data, which is why together, we need to back these reforms as loudly as possible. Will you sign the petition to show the government you support strong privacy laws that create an even playing field between people and businesses?

Three key changes for better privacy protections

CHOICE has three core recommendations to make our privacy laws stronger for consumers. You can read more about them, and all of our other recommendations, in our full submission to the Privacy Act review.

A “fair and reasonable” test for data collection

So that businesses can only collect and use your data for the purpose of providing a good or service, and have to delete unneeded data in a timely manner.

A broader definition of “personal information”

So all of your sensitive data is actually protected.

Stronger consumer protections that apply to all businesses

So our privacy laws can better protect consumers, no matter the size of the business or what technology they're using.

RentTech investigation: Personal data, open for inspection

People who rent are increasingly being forced to use for-profit rental technologies (RentTech) to apply for a home, pay rent and request maintenance. People are facing sneaky fees tacked onto rent, invasive questions about personal information, and fears of automated tenant screening blocking them from housing.

Read the article to learn more

 

Learn more: Why privacy reform matters

Our privacy laws need to be able to respond to emerging technologies, like automated decision-making and facial recognition, and the harms they're causing to consumers.

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