New Zealanders recorded 1003 privacy complaints to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner last financial year.
The Privacy Commission said that while this could signal that New Zealanders have become more aware of their privacy rights, it is more likely due to poor privacy practices across the country, given that agencies also reported 864 privacy breaches.
"No one should be happy we received over 1000 privacy complaints. That demonstrates that people are concerned that their privacy has been harmed in some way, and it’s often in quite significant ways," said Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster.
OPC treated 724 complaints as "fast resolve" files, which meant it acted swiftly to help people resolve their privacy concerns or provide agencies with information about how to comply with their obligations.
It investigated 279 complaints in which the harm threshold was reached, or an agency had not provided access to personal information. Of those investigation files, 6.5 percent resulted in financial compensation.
"Thousands of times daily, New Zealanders provide their personal information in exchange for goods and services. That could be face-to-face with a small business or online with a large government department. All these exchanges involve privacy.”
The OPC investigations team includes highly trained lawyers who, where possible, use dispute resolution. This often means moderating or conciliating between the person who has made a privacy complaint and the business or organisation that has breached their privacy.
"People are complaining to my Office, often in times of great distress, and it’s my team’s job to listen, investigate, and respond with clarity and compassion."
Two-thirds of complaints in the last financial year related to access to personal information.
Under the Privacy Act, people can ask whether an agency holds information about them and request access to their personal information. If an agency fails to provide this information, the Privacy Commissioner can issue an access direction requiring release.
"Having access to your information is an important privacy right, and it’s disappointing that agencies are often unwilling or unable to provide this. Of course, part of addressing and reducing harm to privacy is ensuring that New Zealand businesses and organisations are doing well in terms of privacy. Right now, not everyone is.”
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner received 864 privacy breach notifications in the last financial year, 414 of which were serious.
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