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What's your complaint worth? Riki Jamieson-Smyth
15 November 2017 at 11:10

Reviewed and updated May 2025

Shaming and blaming Charles Mabbett
15 November 2017 at 10:43

Should a business use social media to shame scam artists, shoplifters or bad debtors? When someone feels ripped off, this appears a natural course of action but it can be risky. Is if you believe you have evidence that a crime has been committed, contact Police.

Confirming a requester’s identity Charles Mabbett
17 October 2017 at 16:55

Updated by our Guidance team in March 2025.

Scammer then complains of privacy breach Charles Mabbett
29 September 2017 at 16:01

There’s a general expectation that if you make a complaint to our Office, you haven't brought the breach of privacy upon yourself through your actions. In this case, our complainant was a man who had ripped off a business. He had scammed the business out of several hundred dollars worth of goods but became upset when the business named and shamed him on its Facebook page.

A guide for health professionals disclosing information to Police Richard Stephen
7 July 2017 at 11:32

Reviewed May 2025 (previously titled ‘Can I tell the cops? A guide for health professionals.’

Should agencies leave no stone unturned? Charles Mabbett
10 May 2017 at 09:31

Organisations sometimes get it wrong when they respond to a person’s request for their personal information. Information is sometimes lost, displaced or accidentally deleted. A recent privacy case dealt with by the Human Rights Review Tribunal considers when an organisation can call it quits when it comes to searching for personal information in responding to an access request.

How to make information available – some tips for agencies Lynley Cahill
4 April 2017 at 14:32

We live in an age where agencies collect and hold a lot of information about us. When we then request access to that information, this places demands on the time and resources of agencies to meet their obligations under the Privacy Act. Agencies sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed when responding to requests for personal information -  especially where a high volume of information is held.