Breach, Compliance Management, Data Security, Privacy

Australia’s Coalition Government nixes data breach notification bill

Australia's Coalition Government has spurned a renewed legislative effort to compel companies to notify their customers of a data breach, saying the bill needs additional work, including clarifying the terms “serious breach” and “serious harm.”

The bill was first introduced in 2013 but lapsed before being recycled as Privacy Alerts Bill 2014 by Labor Senator Lisa Singh. It would establish a framework for public and private organizations to report a breach that exposed credit, tax file number or personal data to a speedy notification process. It would also allow the Privacy Commissioner to fine individuals or organizations that were delinquent in protecting information up to $340,000 and $1.7 million respectively

The Coalition Government senators expressed support for the bill's concept but contended that problems with the original proposed legislation had not been addressed and rectified in the newest iteration.

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