14 DAY TRIAL // The Australian Law Reform Commission has decided to forward a bill aimed at making people feel secure as far as their privacy is concerned, without the need of cutting off access to nearly all Internet resources. "People appreciate that other interests often come into the balance - such as freedom of speech, child protection, law enforcement and national security. Australians also want the considerable benefits of the Information Age, such as shopping and banking online, and communicating instantaneously with friends and family around the world. And, of course, businesses want to be able to market effectively to current and potential customers, and to process data efficiently - including offshore." said Commissioner in charge of the Privacy Inquiry, Professor Les McCrimmon.
In an ideal Internet world, people would have access to as many online applications and resources as possible, without being forced to put any of their private information out there. However, regulators have to deal with the fact that users need to feel safe every time they're browsing the web. The information-for-access exchange, which characterizes subscription to different websites, must be made free of privacy-related concerns.
The new set of laws follows certain principles that are applicable in any given part of the world. First comes the need for simplification and streamlining, along with the national consistency that makes the same rules and principles available for all the institutions, organizations and companies across that country. At the same time, the law will make organizations that regulate data flows between two or more countries be fully responsible for that information.
The Commission considers that today's penalties for privacy rights infringement are not harsh enough. Also, each time someone's information is in danger of being lost to third parties or has already been lost, this is not something that should be hidden from the public. Another proposal the commission hopes to turn into a law as soon as possible refers to the privacy of children. Although they are adamant they have full control over their social network accounts, for instance, children are unaware of the fact that some of the information they delete remains in databases long after removal.
These measures, along with others, are part of a 2,700-page report that was compiled with the purpose of aligning the need for privacy to the requirements of the information age we're living in.