The right to personal privacy is limited. Information privacy was first protected by Commonwealth legislation, but it has expanded and now also includes state legislation. The Australian Privacy Principles set out broad principles that are binding on government agencies and large companies. Specific laws cover credit reporting and some other Commonwealth legislation. Complaints can be made to the Australian Information Commissioner. Victorian privacy legislation includes the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Human Rights and Responsibilities Charter.

Contributor

Melanie Casley

Senior Privacy Consultant, Salinger Privacy

Privacy and your rights: Contacts

Privacy: Commonwealth

Complaints or requests for more information about Commonwealth privacy laws may be made to:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Tel: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Web: www.oaic.gov.au

Privacy: Victoria

Complaints or requests for more information about Victorian privacy issues and laws may be made to:

Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner
Level 26, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1300 582 113
Web: https://hcc.vic.gov.au

Victorian Information Commissioner
Level 6, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1300 006 842
Email: enquiries@ovic.vic.gov.au
Web: https://ovic.vic.gov.au

Credit-reporting bodies

Requests to access credit-related information can be made to credit-reporting bodies. The main Australian credit-reporting bodies are:

Illion Australia (formerly Dun & Bradstreet) 
Tel: 13 23 33; 9828 3200
Web: www.illion.com.au/#illion-for-individuals

Equifax (formerly Veda Advantage)
Tel: 13 83 32
Web: www.equifax.com.au

Experian Australia Credit Services
Tel: 1300 783 684
Email: creditreport@au.experian.com
Web: www.experian.com.au

Healthcare identifiers

Australian Government’s Services Australia – individual healthcare identifiers
Tel: 1300 361 457
Email: healthcareidentifiers@humanservices.gov.au
Web: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/individual-healthcare-identifiers

Dispute resolution

Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)
Tel: 1800 931 678
Email: info@afca.org.au
Web: www.afca.org.au

Industry specific dispute resolution scheme members

Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria
Tel: 1800 500 509
Email: ewovinfo@ewov.com.au
Web: www.ewov.com.au

Public Transport Ombudsman Victoria
Tel: 1800 466 865
Email: enquiries@ptovic.com.au
Web: www.ptovic.com.au

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman
Tel: 1800 062 058
Web: www.tio.com.au

Tolling Customer Ombudsman
Tel: 1800 145 009
Email: admin@tollingombudsman.com.au
Web: https://tollingombudsman.com.au

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Government and the individual