Article-Law Reform Institute Call for Privacy Laws Reform
The Examiner | 30 May 2024; pg 4.
Law Reform Institute Call for Review of State’s Privacy Laws
Duncan Bailey
TECHNOLOGICAL advances such as spyware, covert cameras and drones mean the state’s privacy protections should be reviewed, a new Tasmania Law Reform Institute report recommends.
Initiated by Independent Meg Webb MLC, the report recommended laws covering stalking and intimidation in Tasmania should be re-examined to consider emerging surveillance technology.
The Institute said legislation covering listening devices should also be reformed to strengthen protections against optical, tracking and data surveillance.
The report titled Review of Privacy Laws in Tasmania made 63 recommendations which examined the Personal Information Protection Act 2004, and other state-based protections.
TLRI principal research fellow Rebecca Bradfield said multiple submissions raised concerns about the privacy risks associated with emerging technologies such as facial recognition and AI.
“The Institute agrees with the findings of the Commonwealth Privacy Act Review and the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights and Technology project that the risks associated with these technologies justify reforms to privacy legislation,” Dr Bradfield said.
The Institute’s recommendations included Tasmania joining other states in making it an offence to share intimate images without consent.
Tasmania is the only state without a law prohibiting the sharing of non-consensual intimate images – although it is an offence to share private sexual images online under Commonwealth laws.
