Source: New Zealand Privacy Commissioner – Blog
Welcome to our latest round-up of privacy news stories for the week.
Security guard leaks list of Auckland isolation guests via Snapchat
A security guard has leaked the details of returnees at an Auckland isolation facility via Snapchat. The Snapchat image included a printed list of the names, room numbers, and arrival and departure dates of 27 returnees staying at the facility, along with the names and room numbers of five staff members. Read more here.
Covid-19 guest registers: How many people are seeing my information?
With the return of Covid-19 restrictions under levels 2 and 3, businesses are once again required to keep contact tracing registers. The Privacy Commissioner is warning that businesses should not be allowing customers to see other peoples’ information and they must ensure there are reasonable safeguards in place to prevent loss or misuse of the data that they collect. Read more here.
CovidCard to be trialled in isolation facilities
The CovidCard contact tracing technology will be trialled in a managed isolation facility, with an eye towards rolling it out to all such facilities over coming months. The pilot is part of a broader suite of reforms to boost security in the 32 facilities across New Zealand. Read more here.
Beneficiary claims privacy breached in fraud investigation
A beneficiary who claims her privacy was breached in a fraud investigation is taking the Ministry of Social Development to court over whether they can use the information they gathered against her. The case follows a finding by the Privacy Commissioner last year that MSD had been systematically misusing its powers in a bid to catch high-level fraudsters. Read more here.
How to protect your family’s privacy during remote learning
As millions of students around the world attend school online due to coronavirus control measures, two questions remain absent from the conversation: how does remote learning affect privacy and what are the steps that parents, students and teachers can take to create a safe online space? Read more here.
England’s new contact tracing app fixes privacy problems but will it work?
The UK government has begun a trial of its new, revamped COVID-19 contact-tracing app for England, after its previous attempt failed to work as required and raised concerns over privacy. But critics are concerned the app will not attract enough downloads to be effective. Read more here.
Image credit: American Redstart via John James Audubon’s Birds of America
