Byline: Arielle Vlahiotis

On 30 January 2026, the Office of the Australian Anti‑Slavery Commissioner (OAASC) released its initial position paper outlining recommendations to strengthen Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (MSA).

At the start of this year, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) commenced its first-ever compliance sweep of privacy policies to ensure they comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Whether your business will be part of this compliance sweep or not, you should review your privacy policies and ensure that they are up to date and compliant with the APPs.

In August, Australia’s second-largest internet provider iiNet announced a cybersecurity attack had occurred, exposing the email addresses and phone numbers of hundreds of thousands of its customers. While this was a terrible incident for the customers involved, it serves as a reminder to other businesses of the need to prevent and be prepared for data breaches.

A strong brand can help your manufacturing business differentiate itself from its competitors, build customer loyalty and promote brand recognition. It is crucial for business success and is likely one of the most valuable assets that your business owns.

In recent months, we have observed that commercial waste management companies are increasingly using standard form contracts containing unfair terms. Notably, these unfair terms (specifically in waste management agreements) were declared to be unfair in the case of ACCC v JJ Richards [2017] FCA 1224.

A new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy came into effect on Tuesday 10 June, 2025. This new tort was introduced under the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) and provides an avenue for individuals to seek damages against persons or companies that commit a serious invasion of privacy — either through intrusion into their personal space or misuse of their information.

In response to growing concerns over online harassment and the malicious exposure of personal information, the Australian Government introduced new criminal offences targeting doxxing in the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) in December 2024.

In this article, we explain doxxing and the two new criminal offences, which are now part of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

In late 2024, the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) introduced a new statutory tort for serious invasion of privacy. This development marks a significant evolution in the Australian privacy law legal landscape, providing individuals with a clear and actionable right to seek redress for serious breaches of their privacy. It reflects growing public concern over personal information misuse and affirms the importance and value placed on privacy protection.

In this article, we explain the elements of the new tort of the serious invasion of privacy, the defences available for defendants and the damages available to complainants.

On 10 December 2024, the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) received Royal Assent introducing significant amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the Australia Privacy Principles (APPs).