What is a breach of privacy?
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The federal government is looking at whether to make it possible to sue someone for a serious invasion of your privacy. But deciding where to draw the line could prove challenging. What’s harmless for one person could be uncomfortable or upsetting for others.
To explore the different boundaries, this week we examine a host of different, real-life examples – residents upset over a neighbour’s security camera; facial recognition technology used on nightclub patrons; an exhibition of candid photographs taken of people without their knowledge; cases of media intrusion, and more.
Meet the Guests
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Timothy Pilgrim
Timothy Pilgrim is the federal Privacy Commissioner. He says that the way the public defines ‘privacy’ is much broader than what is actually in the Privacy Act, which only covers information collected by an organisation.
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Sam de Brito
Sam de Brito is a columnist who has spent more than a decade writing for TV, film and newspapers. Like many other journalists, throughout his career he’s approached families whose loved ones have just died. And he has confessed to rifling through actress Shannen Doherty’s rubbish while working for a tabloid magazine. He is the author of ‘Hello Darkness’ which is set in a Sydney newsroom.
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George Capsis
George Capsis is the Deputy Mayor of Sutherland Shire Council. George says he has received numerous complaints from people who say their neighbours are invading their privacy by having cameras trained on the properties next door. The council wants new laws to give it the power to regulate household security cameras.
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Matt Finnis
Matt Finnis is the Chief Executive Officer of the AFL Players’ Association. He says the media and individuals have breached the privacy of players on many occasions. The association is calling for a statutory cause of action for serious breaches of privacy. Matt says the right to sue would act as a deterrent.
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Jan Beer
Melbourne Water apologised to Jan Beer for collecting a large amount of information about her. The beef cattle farmer from Yea was an active protester against the Victorian government’s planned north south pipeline. Her activities were tracked, noted and shared with police for more than two years. In August, Melbourne Water published an apology to Jan on its website and in two regional newspapers.
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David Vaile
David Vaile is Executive Director of the Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre at the University of New South Wales. David’s research interests include personal safety online, IT risk management and privacy and data protection. He says when it comes to privacy, Facebook tends to ask for forgiveness, not permission.
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