Submission to Australian Human Rights Commission – Human Rights and Technology Discussion Paper

This submission draws from an evidence base of research and policy engagement by the CPRC. Our work in this area includes: two independent consumer data research reports, Consumer Data and the Digital Economy (2018) and A Day in the Life of Data (2019); experience advising policymakers and regulators through forums including the Open Banking Data Standards Body and the National Data Advisory Council; and ongoing interactions with CPRC’s Consumer Data Research Network (with membership spanning disciplinary research areas across AI, machine-learning, privacy, consumer behaviour, competition law, and consumer law). As well, in the past two years we have lodged public submissions to consultations including the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry; the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s AI Ethics Framework; and a number of responses in relation to the new Consumer Data Right legislation and associated instruments. 

In this submission, we first expand on three core recommendations reflecting on the broader policy environment and highlighting some of the central issues in relation to rights and needs of citizens and consumers in a data-driven society: 

• People should have agency over how technology affects their life choices, chances and trajectories;
• Government should provide economy-wide protections for consumers and citizens;
• Civil society should be equipped for balanced and inclusive policy debate and reform.