Privacy Bill passes at last - are your privacy practices ready?

26 June 2020

Today the long-awaited, and much anticipated, Privacy Bill had its third and final reading. It will come into force, as the Privacy Act 2020, on 1 December 2020 and replace the current Privacy Act 1993.

The passing of the Privacy Bill follows a long review period, dating back to the appointment of the Law Commission to review the Privacy Act in 2006​. Over that time there has been exponential growth in data-driven innovation, significant international developments in data protection and a spate of high-profile data breaches. Against this background, the Privacy Bill has had strong bipartisan and industry support. ​

Bell Gully's Guide to Mandatory Privacy Breach No​​tification

The most significant change under the Privacy Act is the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime for 'notifiable privacy breaches'.

To assist you with preparing for this​ new regime, we have prepared a practical Guide to the Privacy Act 2020 and Mandatory Privacy Breach Notification. The guide contains:

  • An overview of the new notifiable privacy breach regime.
  • A summary of further changes under the new Privacy Act 2020.​​​
  • A checklist of key practical steps you should take to ensure your business is prepared.

Privacy “​Health Check" ​​​Review

The new Privacy Act is an opportune time to undertake a full Privacy Review, to ensure that, before the new Privacy Act comes into force, your privacy practices comply with the new Privacy Act and support your digital and data strategies.

A Privacy Review provides a structured framework to ensure that your business understands the full 'life​cycle' of personal information it collects and uses, including when personal information is collected, where it is stored, who it is shared with, the privacy authorisations and protections in place and your business' preparedness to respond to a breach.

Next​​​ steps

With less than six months until the new Privacy Act comes into effect, now is the time to ensure your privacy practices are up-to-date.

If you require any guidance on the new Privacy Act, or if you are considering a full Privacy “Health Check" Review, please contact our specialist privacy team or your usual Bell Gully ad​viser.​​​​​


Disclaimer: This publication is necessarily brief and general in nature. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.