Strong value placed on privacy rights as the NSW Privacy Commissioner releases results for 2026 Community Attitudes Survey into privacy

Today, the NSW Privacy Commissioner, Sonia Minutillo, published the results of the Information and Privacy Commission’s (IPC) latest biennial survey of community attitudes towards privacy in New South Wales (NSW)

The results provide a broad and indicative picture of the community’s views on privacy in areas such as awareness of privacy rights, incidences of data breaches by NSW government agencies, and experiences with accessing personal information. For the first time the survey provides insights into community views about artificial intelligence and automated decision-making technologies.  

Privacy Commissioner, Sonia Minutillo, said, ‘I am pleased to release the findings for the 2026 Community Attitudes Survey into privacy. This research provides a valuable snapshot of community expectations about privacy in NSW at a time of rapid technological change. 

‘With the recent increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies in data breaches and cyber incidents, the results underscore both the strong value and importance people place on information protection and concern for the use of AI and automated decision-making (ADM). These results will help inform how the public sector can strengthen trust and support for the public into the future.’

Key themes in the survey include:

• The community cares about and values their privacy rights – 99% of respondents in 2026 felt that their right to have their personal information protected by the NSW Government is important, the highest result ever for the survey.
• Awareness of the right to access personal information is high – just under 75% of respondents were aware that they could access and amend their personal information, apply for a review, or make a complaint with a NSW Government agency.
• Attempts to access personal information remain relatively low – with public health providers recording the highest rate at 13%, dropping to 4% for universities.
• The community is highly concerned about data breaches – 84-91% of respondents indicated that they were concerned about deliberate hacking, inappropriate sharing, accidental release and unauthorised access of their personal information, an increase from 2024.
• Individuals who experienced a breach were highly impacted – 53% of respondents who were affected by a breach had contact information compromised and 44% had identification information compromised. Around 33% needed to spend time resolving the issue or updating their passwords.
• The community cares about the use of AI and ADM – 70% of respondents were concerned about the NSW government’s use of AI and ADM technologies in making decisions that affect the public.

Commissioner Minutillo, said, ‘Overall, the findings of the survey demonstrate that the public places a high value on their privacy and is highly concerned about the risks of data breaches and the use of new technologies by government. 

‘NSW public sector agencies can foster trust and address these concerns by implementing strong governance frameworks around the use of personal information and undertake good privacy practice within their organisation. 

‘The IPC will be utilising the results from the 2026 survey to identify ways in which we can support agencies and the community and to help inform its forward work program under the IPC’s Privacy Proactive Regulatory Initiatives Program.’  

The full results from the Community Attitudes Survey can be downloaded via the IPC website. 

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

The Manager, Communications and Corporate Affairs on 0435 961 691 or email communications@ipc.nsw.gov.au

About the Information and Privacy Commission:

The Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) is an independent integrity agency that supports the NSW Information Commissioner and the NSW Privacy Commissioner.  Its vision is that privacy and access to government information are valued and protected in NSW. The Information Commissioner is the chief executive of the Commission.

About the NSW Privacy Commissioner

Ms Sonia Minutillo was appointed as the Privacy Commissioner in March 2025. As Privacy Commissioner, her role includes the promotion of public awareness and understanding of privacy rights in NSW, as well as providing information, support, advice and assistance to agencies and the public.

The Privacy Commissioner administers the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).

For further information about the IPC visit our website at www.ipc.nsw.gov.au 

Community Attitudes Survey 2026 Results

Read the full results for the Community Attitudes Survey 2026 into privacy.