Commissioner Message

In an increasingly digital world, technology enables the collection, storage, and use of personal information on a large scale. As digital technology continues to evolve and new technologies are released every day, it is important to always return to the principles of protecting personal information held in digital systems.  

For agencies, it is imperative that they create, develop, and maintain trust in their digital service delivery. The basics of protecting privacy rely on implementing robust privacy protections to ensure that digital systems and services are safe. For new projects, agencies can lay a secure privacy foundation by taking a privacy-by-design approach to identify risks and build in mitigations during all stages of the project.

Under NSW privacy laws, citizens have a right to expect that their personal information is protected by NSW agencies. However, citizens also play a role in the protection of their own personal information when engaging online. With most services provided digitally, citizens are exposed to an increasing risk of oversharing and publishing their personal information. Citizens must be mindful of the basic principles of safe online behaviour to better protect their privacy.

This Privacy Awareness Week, I encourage agencies to build strong privacy foundations, and supports citizens to better understand and exercise their privacy rights. 

I look forward to celebrating the right to protect personal information and privacy with you during Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2023.

Samantha Gavel
NSW Privacy Commissioner