Privacy+in+New+Zealand

 **By Jason Carstens ** 
 * What rights do I have to privacy in New Zealand? **

The Privacy Act was passed in April 1993. The Act applies to almost every person, business or organisation in New Zealand. It sets out 12 information privacy principles, which guide how personal information can be collected, used, stored and disclosed. (Privacy commissioner, 2010)



As stated above, there are 12 privacy principles which can all be applied to personal rights to privacy in NZ, a brief guide to these principles from the Privacy Commissioners website is below.

**The 12 privacy principles taken from the Privacy Commissioners web site are as follows **

**Principle 1: Purpose of collection of personal information ** (a) the information is collected for a lawful purpose connected with a function or activity of the agency; and (b) the collection of the information is necessary for that purpose..

**Principle 2: Source of personal information** (1) Where an agency collects personal information, the agency shall collect the information directly from the individual concerned. (2) It is not necessary for an agency to comply with sub clause (1) if the agency believes, on reasonable grounds,- (a) that the information is publicly available information; or <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">(b) that the individual concerned authorises collection of the information from someone else. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This principle goes into more detail in regards to how and when an agency may gather your information from a secondary source. This information can be found on the Privacy Commissioners web site.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**Principle 3: Collection of information from subject** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This principle states that if an agency is collecting information from you, that you should be made aware that the information is being collected and what it will be used for. More information can be found on the Privacy Commissioners web site.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**Principle 4: Manner of collection of personal information** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Principle 4 states how your information may NOT be collected. Such as **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">( **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">a) by unlawful means; or  <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">(b) by means that, in the circumstances of the case - <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">(i) are unfair; or <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">(ii) intrude to an unreasonable extent upon the personal affairs of the individual concerned.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Principle 5: Storage and security of personal information ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This principle discusses how an agency must protect any information it has collected on you.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Principle 6: Access to personal information ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Privacy principle six concerns ones ability to access information about ones self held by an agency.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**Principle 7: Correction of personal information** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This principle deals with ones ability to access and correct information about ones self and if no correct can be made, that a statement of the correction sought but not made be attached to that information.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**Principle 8: Accuracy, etc, of personal information to be checked before use** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">An agency that holds personal information shall not use that information without taking such steps (if any) to ensure that, the information is accurate, up to date, complete, relevant, and not misleading.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Principle 9: Agency not to keep personal information for longer than necessary ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">An agency that holds personal information may not keep that information for longer than is required for the purposes for which it was legally collected.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Principle 10: Limits on use of personal information ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This principle states that personal information cannot be used by the agency holding that information for any other purpose other then what it was collected for unless under certain circumstances and it lists these circumstances.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**Principle 11: Limits on disclosure of personal information** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">States the circumstances under which an agency may disclose your information to a third party.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**Principle 12: Unique identifiers** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Advises when an agency may use a unique identifier such as IRD numbers, bank client numbers, driver’s licence and passport numbers – can be used.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">In conjunction to the above, there is also legislation concerning the rights to privacy in New Zealand, specifically the Privacy Act 1993. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This act is essentially what New Zealand law and can be found here []

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">References **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Privacy Commissioner web site: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[]

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">12 Privacy Principles: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> []

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The Privacy Act 1993: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[]