3.10. Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy

The Queensland Information Privacy Act 2009 provides a right for individuals to have their personal information collected and handled in accordance with certain rules or ‘privacy principles’.

The Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) (IP Act) recognises the importance of protecting the personal information of individuals. It contains a set of rules or ‘privacy principles’ that govern how Queensland Government agencies collect, store, use and disclose personal information. The IP Act also allows an individual to make a complaint about an agency’s breach of the privacy principles.

In Australia, privacy refers to the protection of people’s rights to their personal information privacy, including:

• Phone numbers
• Healthcare – health information, health records and health service providers
• Name
• Signature
• Address, email, telephone number, date of birth
• Medical records – personal health information
• Bank details
• Photos and videos
• IP address
• Disability and aged care information
• Family members information, carer and emergency contact details

Resources:

• https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/about/privacy
• https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/privacy
  

Confidentiality

Confidential information is protected by how you’ve defined it in your employees’ contract or your company’s policies.

A confidentiality agreement can also be referred to as an:

• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA);
• Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA);
• Proprietary Information Agreement (PIA);
• Secrecy Agreement (SA);
• Confidentiality Contract; and
• Gag Order.

SLSQ Confidentiality Agreement Template