Privacy Commissioner - Te Mana Matapono Matatapu

A thumbnail sketch of the privacy principles

The Privacy Act has twelve information privacy principles.  For the full text of each, click on its number.  As a brief guide, though:

Principle 1, Principle 2, Principle 3 and Principle 4 govern the collection of personal information. This includes the reasons why personal information may be collected, where it may be collected from, and how it is collected.

Principle 5 governs the way personal information is stored. It is designed to protect personal information from unauthorised use or disclosure.

Principle 6 gives individuals the right to access information about themselves.

Principle 7 gives individuals the right to correct information about themselves.

Principle 8 and Principle 9, Principle 10 and Principle 11 place restrictions on how people and organisations can use or disclose personal information. These include ensuring information is accurate and up-to-date, and that it isn’t improperly disclosed.

Principle 12 governs how “unique identifiers” – such as IRD numbers, bank client numbers, driver’s licence and passport numbers – can be used.

For more information view our Information Privacy Principles Fact Sheet