The Privacy Commissioner has issued a Fact Sheet on Digital photocopiers: inadvertent collection and storage of personal information.

The Fact Sheet discusses the implications of unnecessarily (albeit inadvertently) collecting personal information by digital copiers and multi-function printers which store information they copy or scan.

Additionally if you are collecting and storing personal information, the Privacy Act requires that you take reasonable steps to make sure that information is secure and will not be accessed, modified or disclosed without authorisation. Networked devices may be accessible to the internet and email.

The Fact Sheet also contains a caution relating to selling a used photocopier or MFP or returning a leased photocopier or MFP.As best practice, before selling or disposing of a photocopier or MFP, or returning a leased photocopier or MFP, make sure that all scanned images on the integrated hard drive have been completely erased.