Submission: United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy – Consultation on Gender Perspectives on Privacy

In this submission, CPRC provides an exploration of gender impacts of privacy as it relates to consumers. Australia is going through a period of significant policy reform relating to data including and not limited to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Consumer Data Right) Bill 2018 Data Sharing & Release Bill, and Digital Platform Inquiry. Therefore, it is opportune to reflect on privacy protection in Australia, in the context of an evolving global digital economy and international data protection laws, and the impact this may have on consumers.

CPRC is concerned about the collection, use and sharing of consumer data in an environment without genuine consumer consent or control. It is CPRC’s view that Australia needs an economy-wide reform similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (EU) as the current data protection afforded to consumers by Australian privacy laws are inadequate in today’s global data sharing landscape.