Roxon proposes compulsory reporting of online privacy breaches

Companies would be required to notify customers if the security of their personal information was compromised under proposals released for discussion by the Gillard government today.

Currently, organisations are encouraged to disclose data breaches to the Commonwealth Privacy Commissioner, but are not obliged to do so.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon this morning released a discussion paper to seek comment on whether organisations should be required to report breaches, what kind of breaches should have to be reported, who should be notified, and what penalties should apply for failure to comply.

"Australians who transact online rightfully expect their personal information will be protected," Ms Roxon said.

"More personal information about Australians than ever before is held online, and several high-profile data breaches have shown that this information can be susceptible to hackers."

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