OAIC helps drive international privacy collaboration

The OAIC has successfully presented two resolutions at the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC) in Albania.

The resolutions were adopted by consensus by the representatives of the more than 120 privacy and data protection authorities that assembled for the conference at the Albanian capital of Tirana last month.

One of the resolutions is designed to address the role of human error in personal data breaches. It calls upon members of the ICDPP to classify breaches notified to them that are the result of human error, and report on the causes of these breaches.

All members would also promote security safeguards to prevent human error, such as by building workplace cultures that have privacy and personal data security as organisational priorities and establishing robust and effective data protection and privacy practices, procedures and systems.

The second resolution aims to facilitate regulatory cooperation between data protection authorities and consumer protection and competition authorities to improve the standard of data protection in the emerging digital economy.

This resolution will support the continued operation of the ICDPPC’s Digital Citizen and Consumer Working Group (DCCWG), a body co-chaired by the OAIC and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner Canada that is exploring the intersection between data protection and consumer protection.

“Cooperation with our international counterparts, in both enforcement action and in making progress towards globally interoperable privacy frameworks is essential to protect personal information wherever it flows,” Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Hampton said.

“Through our Commissioner’s role on the ICDPPC Executive Committee, the OAIC has also been closely involved in developing a new conference strategy to promote these objectives and identify priority policy areas. The strategy was adopted by the Tirana Conference and is a significant move towards greater regulatory cooperation and high data protection standards globally.”

Image courtesy ICDPPC