Below are some recent news items that have been highlighted on this website.
Australian Parliament passes 'right to disconnect' bill
21/02/2024
The Australian Parliament has passed an amendment to the Fair Work Act giving employees the right to not respond to employer attempts to contact them outside working hours, when reasonable to do so. Read more at
https://www.twobirds.com.
Web hosting business penalised for misleading customers
10/01/2024
The Web hosting company behind CrazyDomains has been fined $56,340 by the ACCC for misleading conduct, by automatically signing up customers for 'free' services that later incurred ongoing fees. Read more at
https://www.accc.gov.au.
AFP raids alleged money laundering ring in Melbourne
26/10/2023
The Australian Federal Police have arrested seven people in Melbourne in connection with an alleged money laundering ring that is accused of processing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of illegal funds. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
Government plans extensive changes to Australian Privacy Laws
28/09/2023
The Australian Government has released its response to a major review into the Privacy Act, including plans to increase protections for children and strengthening obligations of all businesses. Read more at
https://ministers.ag.gov.au.
Qantas hit by class action lawsuit for 'unconscionable conduct'
21/08/2023
Qantas is facing a class action lawsuit for misleading consumers about their rights and refusing to offer refunds for cancelled flights in a claimed 'pattern of unconscionable conduct'. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
Melbourne couple arrested for modern-day slavery
25/05/2023
A Melbourne couple have been charged by the Australian Federal Police with modern-day slavery offences after allegedly keeping a woman as a slave in their Point Cook home. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
Latitude Financial hit by cyber attack
16/03/2023
More than 300,000 identity documents including drivers licences have been stolen in a breach reported by ASX-listed company Latitude Financial. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
Global cyber security attacks increased 38% in 2022
10/01/2023
The number of cyber-attacks in 2022 increased by 38% compared with 2021, with attacks on healthcare organisations increasing the most. Read more at
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com.
Telstra reveals confidential customer information leaked online
12/12/2022
In yet another major Australian data breach event, Telstra has apologised to thousands of customers for accidentally publishing confidential personal details online. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
Human Rights Commission releases 2022 report on sexual harassment at work
30/11/2022
The Australian Human Rights Commission has released results of its 2022 survey on sexual harassment at work, revealing that 1 in 3 people have experienced workplace harassment in the last 5 years. Read more at
https://humanrights.gov.au.
Medibank reveals customer data breach much wider than originally thought
25/10/2022
Just days after the major Optus data breach earlier this month, Medibank stated that they had detected 'unusual activity' in their systems. They've now revealed a breach of sensitive customer data that is much worse than first thought. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
OAIC opens investigation into Optus customer data breach
11/10/2022
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) today commenced an investigation into the data handling practices of Optus, following one of Australia's largest ever privacy breaches that exposed personal information in 9.8 million customer records. Read more at
https://www.oaic.gov.au.
Is workplace bullying and sexual harassment putting your business at risk?
14/09/2022
A new article by the Australian Hospitality Directory discusses the concerning findings of a recent survey on workplace bullying and sexual harassment, and what businesses can do to avoid problems. Read more at
https://www.hospitalitydirectory.com.au.
Ansell sued for modern slavery violations
24/08/2022
Australian company Ansell has been taken to court in the United States by 13 alleged victims of modern slavery practices in the company's manufacturing supply chain. Read more at
https://www.abc.net.au.
Major retailers' use of facial recognition technology raises privacy concerns
17/07/2022
Major retailers have been found to be using facial recognition technology in their stores, though most customers are unaware of the practice, raising Privacy concerns. Read more at
https://www.choice.com.au.
Crown Casino fined $80m for evading money laundering laws
30/05/2022
Crown Resorts has received a record fine for a scheme that allowed Crown Casino high rollers to illegally bypass China's currency controls and Australia's anti-money laundering laws. Read more at
https://www.smh.com.au.
ACCC action results in large penalty for Peters Ice Cream
27/03/2022
Peters Ice Cream has been ordered to pay a $12 million penalty for anti-competitive trade practices (exclusive dealing) for restricting a supplier from dealing with its competitors. Read more at
https://www.accc.gov.au.
Companies failing on Modern Slavery obligations
National Scam Awareness Week 2021
8/11/2021
The ACCC has launched National Scam Awareness week for 2021, running from November 8-12, under the theme
let's talk scams. Scams cost Australian individuals and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Read more at
https://www.accc.gov.au.
Privacy commissioner finds that Australian 7-Eleven stores breached privacy law