Australia’s federal privacy regulator has launched Privacy Awareness Week 2026, using the annual campaign to press government bodies and other regulated organisations to improve the way they handle complaints and disputes. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner said the programme opened in Sydney at an event hosted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals at Macquarie Group, with Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind setting out a theme centred on trust and resolution.

Kind used the launch to underline a tougher approach from the regulator this year, saying the OAIC has become more enforcement-focused. She argued that organisations which treat privacy complaints as early warning signs, rather than an inconvenience to be managed away, are the ones most likely to adapt to what she described as a new era of privacy accountability.

The federal campaign sits alongside a broader state and territory push that is increasingly shaped by the rise of artificial intelligence and smart technologies. Victoria’s information commissioner is marking Privacy Awareness Week from 4 to 10 May with a theme focused on making better choices in the age of AI, while New South Wales has adopted a similar message and said it will release new resources for both agencies and the public.

The OAIC is running the week with support from state and territory privacy regulators and the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum, and is encouraging organisations to sign up as supporters and use the campaign toolkit. The joint effort reflects a wider push across Australia to strengthen privacy capability, improve dispute resolution and remind agencies that privacy obligations are becoming more visible as digital systems spread through public administration.

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Source: Noah Wire Services