The Research Society is proud to again be a supporter of Privacy Awareness Week, in line with our strong commitment to good privacy practice. Running from 4 to 10 May 2020, Privacy Awareness Week is an annual initiative from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) that aims to promote and raise awareness of privacy issues and the importance of protecting personal information.
This year’s message is Reboot your privacy, of particular importance in the current circumstances, as more and more activities are being conducted remotely and online. The OAIC is reminding everyone:
- to check and update their privacy controls
- consider the alternative when giving or asking for personal information, and
- delete any data from old devices and securely destroy and de-identify personal information if it’s no longer needed for a legal purpose.
This is a critical reminder to Research Society members and partners and to all research organisations to embed the principles of good privacy practice in their professional activities. As the Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner, Angeline Falk, says:
‘Put the right controls in place. Consider the privacy risks and come up with alternatives. Collect only what is necessary and delete or de-identify information if it’s no longer required for a legal purpose. Above all, be transparent in how you handle personal information and give people choice wherever possible.’
The message is equally important to individuals. For the many members now working from home, this is the time to review and minimise the privacy risks in their current workplace. The OAIC has produced useful resources to assist, available here.
For more information on Privacy Awareness Week, visit here.
The Research Society has a range of resources on privacy for members and partners, available here.
