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Today (March 12, 2014) marks the date where the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) can begin enforcing the Privacy Amendment Act 2012 (No. 197, 2012). The Privacy Amendment Act is a part of a privacy law reform process that began in 2004. This Amendment includes a set of new, harmonised privacy principles that will regulate the handling of personal information. These 13 new privacy principles are called the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and they apply to public and private organisations.

OAIC’s official media release

Why Destroy Personal Information Properly?

Australian Privacy Principle 11 relates to the security of personal information. It stipulates that organisations must ‘take steps to destroy or de-identify personal information that is no longer required, subject to other record keeping requirements.’

Personal information can be as simple as hard copies of emails, orders and accounts; or written notes from client contacts, meetings and phone calls. The careless discarding of this sensitive information puts peoples’ identities at risk. If a business is found to have breached the Privacy Act ‘significant penalties’ can be imposed.

‘Significant penalties’ could equate to as much as $ 1,700,000 for public & private organisations and $ 340,000 for the individuals involved. Many privacy advocates expect a serious penalty will be delivered within the first six months of the March 12, 2014 implementation.

Is Your Business Compliant?

Whilst the key concepts that underpin the Act have been known to the private sector for over 12 years now, the OAIC has created APP Guidelines to assist businesses in becoming compliant.

The APP guidelines outline the mandatory requirements of the APPs, how the OAIC will interpret the APPs, and matters the OAIC may take into account when exercising functions and powers under the Privacy Act.

Data Retention and Destruction Policies

Shred-X offers advice and strategies on Data Retention and Destruction Policies including:
• on-site assessments to identify potential risks for data breaches;
• assistance in creation of policies and procedures to specifically assist your organisation;
• advice to clearly segregate personal information from general paper waste;
• advantages of our service vs in-house office shredding; and
• ‘proof of destruction’ certificates (audit trails).

Call 1300 SHREDX (747 339) today to arrange your no obligation on-site assessment.

Our business is making sure no-one knows YOUR business®


For nearly 15 years Shred-X Document Destruction has been the leader in secure destruction services. We assist organisations in complying with the Privacy Act 1988 and its Amendments providing tailored services to thousands of commercial sites and households across Australia. Our secure destruction services include document destruction, digital media destruction (hard drives, CDs, credit cards), archive box cleanouts, and uniform destruction to name a few.