Annabel Hepworth reports:
Some of Australia’s largest companies fear a big increase in compliance costs from proposed reforms to the country’s privacy laws.
Companies including Coles Supermarkets, National Australia Bank, Telstra and Westpac say the proposals must be softened to ease the cost burden.
A Senate committee is examining draft laws that would introduce a new set of privacy principles after the Australian Law Reform Commission in 2008 made 295 recommendations for change.
If the proposals pass into law, companies would have to consider whether they can continue to transfer personal information overseas as the proposals could see them held liable for privacy breaches offshore, and may also have to overhaul their direct marketing practices.
Read more in The Australian.