Another decision from the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand concerned a complaint that Oranga Tamariki disclosed a man’s offending to his partner. Oranga Tamariki is NZ’s Ministry for Children. It was formerly known as the Ministry for Vulnerable Children because it is concerned with children who are vulnerable or at risk of harm or youth offenders.
In this case, a man complained to the privacy commissioner’s office in 2017 because Oranga Tamariki requested information about his criminal history from Police and discussed it with his partner.
Oranga Tamariki said the collection and disclosure of the man’s information was part of its process to determine whether it was safe for the partner’s daughter to return to live with the couple.
The man claimed Oranga Tamariki breached his privacy by seeking his criminal history and disclosing it to his partner without his consent. He said the disclosure caused him stress, anxiety, humiliation and loss of dignity.
The Privacy Commissioner wound up deciding that there had been no violation of his privacy. You can read the legal issues and more about the privacy commissioner’s investigation and decision on their web site.