September 30, 2022
Māori data beaches spark privacy complaints
The Privacy Commissioner says Māori are more likely to have concerns over information held about them.
Michael Webster says a recent commission survey found 11- percent of respondents had made a request under the Privacy Act, but the figure for Māori was 19-percent.
He says privacy breaches can have serious consequences.
“We absolutely have stories of Maori who have had their personal records mishandled, they have been for example combined electronically with the files of other people, which has resulted in them getting treatment that is just not acceptable from various agencies out there,” he says.
Mr Webster says his office is able to support people in their complaints against government agencies or private organisations which can result in apologies or even cash settlements.
People can use the “About Me” tool on the Privacy.org.nz website to find what information a range of agencies hold about them.