The Senate Standing Committees on Finance and Public Administration has published its report on the Exposure Drafts of Australian Privacy Amendment Legislation Part 1 – Australian Privacy Principles. The new set of principles will replace the two existing sets of principles (one for government and for private organisations) governing dealings with personal information.

Although the report makes 29 recommendations for changes, the committee considers that the draft APPs “reflect the intent of the ALRC review and the needs of the Government to ensure that standards are in place to address the risk of harm from the inappropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information and to meet the expectations of individuals that personal information will be handled appropriately. The APPs also address community concerns arising from the cross-border disclosure of personal information and balance the public’s and the individual’s interest in efficient and effective service delivery and public safety.”