The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has released a new guide to privacy regulatory action setting out a detailed explanation of how it will exercise its privacy regulatory powers and the procedural steps it will take in using those powers.

The Guide to privacy regulatory action supports the Privacy regulatory action policy released in November 2014.

The Commissioner’s enforcement powers, range from less serious to more serious regulatory action, including powers to:
• accept an enforceable undertaking
• bring proceedings to enforce an enforceable undertaking
• make a determination
• bring proceedings to enforce a determination
• report to the Minister in certain circumstances following a complaint investigation, monitoring activity or assessment
• seek an injunction including before, during or after an investigation or the exercise of another regulatory power
• apply to the court for a civil penalty order for a breach of a civil penalty provision.