The Privacy Act 1988 protects personal information handled by large businesses, namely those with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, and by all health service providers. The Privacy Act also applies to some small businesses.
The Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner produced an information package to assist small businesses in determining whether they need to comply with the Privacy Act and if so, what they need to do. The package includes the following publications:
- Privacy Checklist for Small Business [PDF 127 KB | 0.7mins @ 33.6kbps]
(Published in October 2002), which helps small businesses determine if they will be subject to the Privacy Act; and
- a Guide to Privacy for Small Business [PDF 131 KB | 0.7mins @ 33.6kbps] (Published in October 2002), which gives an introduction to the National Privacy Principles and a number of compliance tips.
Additionally, in December 2000, the Office of Small Business produced Is your Small Business Exempt: A Guide to Private Sector Privacy Legislation [PDF 426 KB | 2.3mins @ 33.6kbps] to help small businesses understand whether they are exempt from privacy laws.
Inquiries about privacy legislation should be directed to the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992 or via email at privacy@privacy.gov.au