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About OPC

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Working with other regulators

A red haired woman sits at a desk and waves at her laptop. She is in a wheelchair and has glasses. We work with other regulators in New Zealand and internationally, which helps us make the best use of our resources. 

For example, we have worked closely with the Independent Police Conduct Authority about Police conduct when photographing members of the public.

We look to take joint regulatory action where appropriate.

We participate in international networks and forums and we are closely connected with privacy enforcement authorities overseas. We draw on the relationships we have with our international colleagues to get:

  • expert input from around the world on matters we’re dealing with at home
  • inspiration for the development of our own guidance and policies
  • to discuss privacy and data protections issues that are happening on a global scale.

We have a Memorandum of Understanding between the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner and The Australian Information Commissioner about Information Sharing (opens to PDF, 538KB). 

Read the Memorandum of Understanding between The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for New Zealand and The Information Commissioner for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (opens to PDF, 4.8MB).

Referring matters to other regulators

In some cases, OPC will not be the best agency to deal with an issue that we’ve been told about. 

The Commissioner may transfer a complaint in whole or in part (if it relates to something that’s not privacy) to:

  • an Ombudsman
  • the Health and Disability Commissioner
  • the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
  • the Independent Police Conduct Authority
  • an overseas privacy authority.

Before we transfer a complaint, we will consult with the relevant agency and decide the best way of dealing with the complaint. We can also transfer a complaint (whole or part) to an overseas privacy enforcement authority if the Commissioner considers the matter is more within their jurisdiction. The Commissioner must consult with the other privacy authority first and decide the appropriate means of dealing with the complaint.

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