[New Zealand] Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff is going to be the next key player in the row over two beneficiaries whose welfare payment details were released by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett. Labour yesterday laid a complaint with Ms Shroff, claiming Ms Bennett breached the principles of the Privacy Act. She revealed that Natasha Fuller…
Category: Non-U.S.
Camera law irks Greek privacy watchdog
Greece’s privacy watchdog yesterday slammed an amendment, recently passed in Parliament, which paves the way for authorities to use surveillance cameras without restrictions, saying that it provides no safeguards governing how personal data will be handled. The Hellenic Data Protection Authority (APPD) has been locked in a dispute with the government and the police since…
Merton council caught snooping on residents
Another UK council has been reportedly misusing anti-terrorism law to snoop on residents. This time, it’s Merton Council. According to a report in Your Local Guardian: Anti-terror laws have been used by Merton Council to snoop on residents, for petty offences ranging from breaching smoking bans to fly-tipping, 39 times since 2006, the Wimbledon Guardian…
ICO slams govt plans for accessing communications data
Privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) believes that Government plans to force ISPs and telecoms firms to gather more communications data do not adequately protect privacy. The ICO has said that the plans are a “step change” in people’s relationship with the state, and that they could damage both the privacy of individuals and…