What kind of information about me is protected by the Privacy Act?

In Plain English

The Privacy Act 1988 aims to protect your personal information. This includes any information or opinion about you that can identify you, whether it's true or not, and whether it's written down or not. Health information, which is a specific type of personal information, gets extra protection. The Privacy Act 1988 also provides avenues for you to complain if you think your privacy has been breached.

Detailed Explanation

The Privacy Act 1988 protects "personal information," which is defined broadly as "information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not, and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not" (see Notice of an application for the protection of a specified area, being the area known as the Mount Pleasant Operation mine and The Pocket, near Muswellbrook, New South Wales Invitation to make representations and Privacy Regulations 2025).

The Privacy Act 1988 also defines "sensitive information," which receives a higher level of protection. Sensitive information includes (but is not limited to):

"Health information" is a subcategory of personal information and includes information or an opinion about:

  • Your health, including illnesses, disabilities, or injuries
  • Your wishes about future health services
  • Health services provided or to be provided to you
  • Personal information collected to provide health services
  • Information about organ donation
  • Genetic information that could predict your health or the health of your relatives (see Privacy (Guidelines issued under section 95A) Approval 2024).

The Privacy Act 1988 gives you the right to complain about interferences with your privacy (see Privacy Regulations 2025).