Data Privacy Day – 28 January 2021
Data Privacy Day is “an international effort … to create awareness about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust”.[1] It serves as an important reminder to both individuals and agencies who collect personal information.
A data breach can be costly for both the reputation and the wallet – it is imperative that personal information is handled correctly.
In December, New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 (New Act) introduced a legal obligation to report any data breaches both to the Privacy Commissioner, and to anyone affected by a breach. You can find more information about the New Act here.
Agencies who collect personal information must do so in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. This is a good time to ensure:
- you have robust Privacy Policies surrounding the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information;
- your employees are bound by appropriate confidentiality clauses in their employment agreements; and
- staff are trained on collection and secure storage of personal information.
Individuals can also take steps to protect their own privacy, such as:
- Checking mobile app settings and permissions to control what information the app collects and deleting any unused apps;
- Reviewing and adjusting social media privacy settings;
- Using multi-factor authentication and ensuring passwords meet recommendations for character-types and length;
- Educating themselves on their rights regarding collection of their personal information; and
- Ensuring any personal information held by agencies is accurate.
If you have any queries about your privacy rights or obligations, or would like assistance with drafting a Privacy Policy, please contact Deborah Hendry and Virginia Nichols.
You can find more information about Data Privacy Day and privacy in general at https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/about-dpd/ .