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The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) works to develop and promote a culture in which personal information is protected and respected.
The Privacy Act applies to almost every person, business and organisation in New Zealand. The Act includes privacy principles that guide how personal information can be collected, used, stored and disclosed.
On 1 December 2020, the new Privacy Act came into force. To find out more, visit our Privacy Act 2020 page here.
About privacy
Privacy means different things to different people. A right to privacy can mean a right to be left alone, a right to control who sees information about you, or a right to make decisions about your personal life without government intervention.
The value of a right to privacy can also vary depending on circumstances, cultural context, time and personal preference. Although privacy is important, it is not absolute. Other social interests can be more important than privacy in some instances, such as preventing crime, ensuring safety, and ensuring that courts get information to make their decisions.
Our privacy laws reflect a common understanding of privacy that has emerged in New Zealand and in many other countries.
Our privacy laws
On 1 December, the Privacy Act 2020 came into force and became New Zealand's main privacy law. The Act primarily governs personal information about individual people, but the Privacy Commissioner can consider developments that affect personal privacy more widely.
Separately, the courts have developed a privacy tort – that is, the right for one person to sue another for breach of privacy (e.g. Hosking v Runting) – while many statutes set out specific rules to protect privacy or confidentiality in particular situations.
Meanwhile, some statutes or other rules allow personal information to be shared. For example, personal information on the electoral roll is publicly available.
The New Zealand Media Council is an independent forum that hears privacy complaints about the press and digital media platforms which are not covered by the Privacy Act.
In addition, the Broadcasting Standards Authority hears privacy complaints in relation to broadcast material.
