Can I ask the Privacy Commissioner to investigate my complaint urgently?

We assign complaints based on the likelihood of harm and the order we received them. If there is a good reason why you think your complaint should be prioritised ahead of people who have been waiting longer than you, you're welcome to set that out by emailing us. If you do not have good reasons for urgency, we will not be able to prioritise your complaint over anyone else.

Urgent requests can and will be given priority but only when we decide that the request is legitimately urgent. Just because you label your request as urgent does not necessarily mean that we can treat it as urgent. You need to provide a good reason.

The test used to determine urgency is based on substance, not form. If the circumstances outlined by the requester indicate genuine urgency, we will prioritise it. Typical examples that justify an urgent response include:

Where there is a child or other person at risk.
Where there is a real risk that information might be lost or destroyed.
Where the requester requires medical attention (though managing your mental distress is something individuals need to take their own responsibility for).
Where you need our investigation completed to support proceedings or a process you are involved in, unless you have an avenue through the process (for example discovery) to obtain the information.
Where a delay in investigation might impact other rights, for example imminent deportation, arrest or prosecution (and there is not a more appropriate avenue for you to obtain the information).
Where you are terminally ill.

You will need to clearly explain to us why we need to treat your complaint as urgent. You also need to tell us the timeframe for your request and explain why your reason for urgency requires this timeframe. If you ask for urgency without any good reason, we will not be able to treat your complaint as urgent.

Can I ask the Privacy Commissioner to investigate my complaint urgently?

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