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Tuesday, 25 Oct 11
Web Extra
Neighbourhood Watch
These residents explain why they’re worried about their neighbour’s surveillance system:
Candid Camera
One of our guests, artist Cherine Fahd is a professional photographer. She has exhibited these images which she took without the subjects knowing.
What do you think? Tell us on our Your Say page.
What is privacy?
The word 'privacy' means different things to different people. Your idea of privacy is likely to be different from the ideas of your family and friends.
The type of privacy covered by the Privacy Act and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is the protection of people's personal information. Other types of privacy can include territorial privacy and physical or bodily privacy and privacy of your communications.
What is personal information?
Personal information is information that identifies you or could identify you. There are some obvious examples of personal information, such as your name and address. Personal information can also include medical records, bank account details, photos, videos, and even information about what you like, your opinions and where you work. In some cases, your date of birth and post code may be enough to identify you. Face recognition software and IP addresses are another.
What does the Privacy Act cover?
The Privacy Act 1988 regulates how your personal information is handled. For example, it covers:
- how your personal information is collected (eg: the person information you
provide when you fill in a form);
- how it is used and disclosed;
- its accuracy;
- how securely it is kept;
- your general right to access that information.
Exemptions from the Privacy Act:
Click on each of the following to read more:
- Small business
- Employee records
- Political
- Journalism
Jan Beer vs Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water apologised to Jan Beer for collecting a large amount of information about her after her protest activities against the Victorian government’s north-south pipeline were tracked and documented for two years.
Read the full apology from Melbourne Water here.
These are photos Jan says she took of people undertaking surveillance of her:
Identity theft - how exposed are you?
Click here to test how aware you are of ID theft.
Social networking and privacy In Australia there are now over 10 million registered Facebook users, and 66% of these users return daily. here are some tips from the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities to think about when you use social networking:
1. Know the privacy policy and settings of the social networking sites you use;
2. Think about the information you share and how it's being used, eg - what might a
future employer or partner think if they read it?
3. Remember, the internet lets your information be collected and shared easily. The
harmless information you post could be added to the mix, creating a full profile
about you. Who might see it?
4. Sharing information with just a few people doesn't stop it reaching a wider
audience; be aware of who might pass things on;
5. Before you post and tag pictures of someone else, ask for their consent - and
request that they do the same to you;
6. Set up 'friend' groups to control the access of different people in your life to your
personal details;
7. Don't accept friend requests from people you don't know;
8. Location-based check ins can be risky. Do you really want everyone to know that
no-one's home?
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