Authors: Georgia Bates, Suzy McMillian
Published: 1 December 2021
Pages: 27

Introduction

The world of big data, the COVID 19 pandemic, the flood of new technology, and our increasing digital presence have elevated technology and privacy issues to a whole new level of consciousness across both our professional and personal lives. Coupled with New Zealand’s now in force new Privacy Act 2020 (Privacy Act), and ongoing global trends towards harsher penalties for those in breach of data protection laws, New Zealand now looks set to finally join the march towards greater privacy and cyber risk management and enforcement.
Organisations are operating in a world where cyber threats are becoming more widespread (it is now a matter of when, not if) and individuals are increasingly prepared to act to protect their personal information or lodge complaints if they feel their privacy has been compromised. The introduction of the Privacy Act represents a critical moment for organisations to take stock of potential cyber and privacy risks, which carry significant financial and reputational harm.
This paper will summarise the key changes to New Zealand’s privacy laws that came into effect last year and discuss some of the practical implications of implementing these new obligations. Along with understanding what’s in the new Privacy Act, it’s also important to understand what is not there, and what may be coming in the privacy reform space. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about its own very distinct privacy related concerns which we will explore, before summing up with an overview of some of the key privacy developments in other jurisdictions.

Content outline

• Key changes under the new Privacy Act
• What’s not in the Privacy Act?
• New Zealand consumer data right
• Challenging technologies
• General privacy observations in the COVID-19 pandemic
• COVID-19, employment, and privacy
• Global trends