Our website uses cookies so we can analyse our site usage and give you the best experience. Click "Accept" if you’re happy with this, or click "More" for information about cookies on our site, how to opt out, and how to disable cookies altogether.
Submission by the Privacy Commissioner to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade select committee on the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill.
View the Privacy Commissioner's submission to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on the New Zealand Business Number Bill - Exposure Draft (October 2014).
The Privacy Commissioner's Electronic Shared Care Records Review: Elements of Trust report reviewed three regional health agency projects and found the projects met their clinical objectives and complied with their obligations under the Health Information Privacy Code (HIPC).
The wider use of data by business and government is inevitable. This submission responds to the New Zealand Data Futures Forum’s invitation to contribute to a debate on the country’s data future.
View the submission by the Privacy Commissioner to the Privileges Committee on the Inquiry regarding use of intrusive powers within the Parliamentary precinct.
View the Privacy Commissioner's comments on the National Health IT draft plan, which sets out a plan to develop a national electronic health information infrastructure.
The Border (Customs, Excise and Tariff) Bill provides for the use of automated electronic systems at the border to make decisions, exercise powers, comply with obligations, and take related actions'. Any automated decision making can affect an individual's privacy.
Search and surveillance is a complex area with an immense impact on citizens' rights in relation to the State. Up to now, it has suffered from a lack of consistency and coherence, but the work of the Law Commission and the resulting Search and Surveillance Bill have significantly improved this situation.
Of course, any discussion of search and surveillance gives rise to major privacy issues. By its nature the Bill covers activities that are intrinsically invasive. The Committee is faced with the hard job of balancing genuine law enforcement needs with the public interest in privacy.
In addition, the electronic age we are living in provides far more scope for search and surveillance activities than ever before. It is important that this major piece of legislation is enacted with appropriate safeguards in place to protect all New Zealanders.
Generally, the Bill successfully manages the competing concerns. However, I have recommended several changes to the Bill, to address what appear to be oversights in the drafting. I recognise that search and surveillance is a vital part of law enforcement and enforcement officers should have the tools they need to carry out this role effectively. However, New Zealanders have the right to expect that the intrusions into their private lives created by the Bill will be justifiable and also operated with appropriate safeguards in place.
Report by the Privacy Commissioner to the Social Services Committee in relation to an information matching programme proposed to be authorised by new section 68 of the Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Act 1992.
