CEO Alice Manners contrbutes to B&T article on avoiding mistakes when it comes to the Australian Privacy Policies.
The new privacy Amendment Act and its rules around how marketers can use personal data is now just over four months old, but despite the big implications associated with crossing the act awareness and understanding of the updates are low.
“Despite the best of intentions, I don’t think most people in the industry are even aware of the changes,” says Dan Monheit, director of strategy and owner of Melbourne’s Hardhat Digital.
“Legal departments are definitely where things are being felt.”
The Privacy Amendment Act came into effect from March 12 this year and introduced thirteen Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) which outline how organisations can collect, handle, process and use personal information for marketing purposes.
If you breach the Act you could be handed a fine up to a soul-crushing $1.7m.
Luckily, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) made it clear that it would not be rushing to issue fines for breaches.
“Instead OAIC has indicated it wants to work with all sections of business to clarify policies in order to avoid difficulties further down the track. This is great news for all in the industry,” says Alice Manners, chief executive of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
But that time will come to an end.
And so here is a list of 10 things you want to avoid. At all costs.
TEN PRIVACY MISHAPS THAT WILL STUFF YOU UP (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
1. Hitting $3m turnover
You might be thinking it’s time to pop open some champers but this success could bite you on your rich behind according to Hardhat Digital’s Monheit.
“If you’re a small business doing $2,999,999 in revenue a year, one extra dollar will push you over the threshold at which point all the new laws apply to how you collect and use data. Good news for your lawyer if nothing else,” he says.
Bad news however for the small businesses which are not exempt and must comply even though their turnover is less than $3m. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) chief executive Alice Manners these unlucky small businesses include health service providers, organisations trading in personal information, credit reporting bodies and organisations related to a larger body corporate.
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