Government response to the Privacy Act Review Report

The Privacy Act Review originated out of recommendations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s 2019 Digital platforms inquiry – final report.

We released the Privacy Act Review Report in February 2023. Following this, we undertook public consultation to inform the government response.

On 28 September 2023, the Australian Government released its response to the Privacy Act Review Report. The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Amendment Act) came into effect on 10 December 2024. It progresses 23 proposals from the Government Response to the Privacy Act Review Report.

Stakeholder engagement

We have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders on privacy reform during the Privacy Act Review and since the Government Response was released.

Consultation on proposed civil reforms to address the practice of doxxing closed on 28 March 2024. We received 97 written submissions. We used this feedback to informed the Amendment Act, which introduced a range of amendments including a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, and new criminal offences for doxxing.

Consistent with the Australian Government’s commitment to enhancing privacy protections, we will continue to engage with stakeholders through targeted consultation on draft provisions on remaining proposals the government agreed or agreed in principle to progress. We will identify key stakeholders to consult with, ensuring that views are a representative cross-section of interest and expertise.