Privacy

5 key considerations for government agencies when conducting a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)

16/10/2026 Government agencies are increasingly collecting, sharing and analysing personal information to deliver services, improve decision-making and meet community expectations. As digital services, data sharing initiatives and emerging technologies become more common, agencies face increased scrutiny regarding how personal information is handled. A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is an important tool for identifying and managing …
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Should organisations allow smart glasses at work?

23/09/2026 As smart glasses become more affordable and widely available, organisations are increasingly being required to consider whether staff, contractors, clients or visitors should be permitted to use them on organisational premises. This article reviews recent developments relating to smart glasses and highlights key considerations when updating organisational workplace policies.  What Are Smart Glasses?  Smart …
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Behind the curtain of legal professional privilege: lessons from Medibank v McClure

26/05/2026 Legal professional privilege (LPP) protects confidential information, documents and communications, between a lawyer and a client made for the purpose of providing legal advice or services. Issues surrounding LPP arise when documents address a wider-range of topics beyond just providing legal advice or services. This is the core issue in the recent case of …
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RentTech on notice: OAIC determination signals tougher scrutiny for “excessive” renter data collection

26/05/2026 The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has issued a landmark determination against a major rental technology (RentTech) platform, sending a clear message that is it is not acceptable to collect as much information as possible without a clear reason for doing so. OAIC found that the “2Apply” platform, a popular tool used …
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Risks in broad FOI disclosure exemptions

23/04/2026 In the recent case of Bachelard v Australian Federal Police [2025] FCAFC 5, the Federal Court of Australia has reinforced the core principle of the act: the Australian right to access government documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) Background Journalist Michael Bachelard sought access to documents held by the …
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How new AUSTRAC anti-money laundering obligations will impact our clients

21/04/2026 Australian law firms, including Grifin Legal, will be subject to mandatory anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) obligations from 1 July 2026, marking a significant expansion of the country’s financial crime prevention regime. The new laws bring legal practitioners into line with banks and financial institutions that have long operated under similar requirements. …
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Administrative Review Tribunal decision on Bunnings use of facial recognition technology

25/02/2026 A recent Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) decision on Bunnings Group Limited’s (Bunnings) use of facial recognition technology (FRT) has overturned some of the Privacy Commissioner’s findings in relation to the contravention of the Australian Privacy Principles (APP).   Departing from the Commissioner’s findings, the ART found that Bunnings lawfully collected the sensitive information of individuals entering its stores via FRT in accordance with APP 3.3 as …
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AI and Employee Rights: what the recent agreement between Microsoft and Unions can tell us

06/02/2026 As workplaces continue to grapple with the emergence and implications of AI, Microsoft has announced a landmark Framework Agreement with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), to ensure workers have a voice in how AI and other emerging technologies are implemented in Australian workplaces. The continuing improvements in AI capabilities has caused increased …
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