The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has released an Issues Paper, Review of Privacy as the first step in a major review of Australia ‘s privacy laws due to be completed in March 2008.

The Issues Paper (which is 616 pages long) was prepared in response to the Terms of Reference prepared by Attorney-General Ruddock who identified four factors as relevant to the decision to initiate the Inquiry:
• rapid advances in information, communication, storage, surveillance and other relevant technologies;
• possible changing community perceptions of privacy and the extent to which privacy should be protected by legislation;
• the expansion of state and territory legislative activity in areas relevant to privacy; and
• emerging areas that may require privacy protection.

The ALRC said the Inquiry will ask questions such as:

• Do Australians feel that their privacy is adequately protected?

• Is it possible for privacy laws to keep up with technology such as data
  matching, facial recognition and even body odour measurement?

• Do younger people care as much about privacy as their elders?

The Review coincides with increasing concern over disclosure of personal information such as allegations of sale of information by Indian call centres.