Privacy Commissioner's Annual Report 2013 – A Year of Rapid Change
28 November 2013
“Events during the year have reinforced the need for tools to respond to the dynamic data environment that is developing
across government and business,” said Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff when she released her Annual Report today.
“We continued discussions with Ministry of Justice officials as they worked through the Privacy Act review proposals and
we now look forward to the Government’s response. Having adequate privacy and security protections will enable the aims
of Better Public Services to be realised successfully.”
“A number of other high-profile data breaches and security failures, including the exposure of vulnerability in MSD’s
publicly-facing kiosks in December 2012 and an EQC data breach involving many thousands of its Christchurch claimants,
showed the weaknesses within many agency systems and processes.”
“The Government’s Bill to reform the Government Communications and Security Bureau (GCSB) took place against a
background of heightened awareness and concern about government intrusion and surveillance of civilian life. Our
submission on the Bill said that because of the complex and dynamic environment, we believed oversight of surveillance
needed to be considered further.”
“The Information Sharing Bill became law in February and we received the first application for an approved information
sharing agreement (AISA) a few months later. Government agencies are required to consult with us on each AISA and we
will make our reports publicly available on our website to support transparency in government.”
ENDS