A Facebook group administrator has been ordered to pay $7,500 in damages after breaching the Privacy Act, in a case highlighting growing concerns around the sharing of personal information online.
The Human Rights Review Tribunal ruled against the administrator of a closed group known as Bad Tenants, New Zealand (Landlords Only), where landlords were reportedly exchanging information about former tenants.
The case was brought by Adam Sheehan, who sought access to personal information he believed had been shared about him in the group. After his requests were ignored and he was blocked, he escalated the matter to the Privacy Commissioner.
An access direction was issued, requiring the group to release the information. When that direction was not followed, the case moved to the Tribunal.
Because the Facebook group itself is not a legal entity, one of its administrators, Wayne Wilson, was named as a representative defendant on behalf of the group’s approximately 3,100 members.
The Tribunal found that the administrator had breached the Privacy Act by failing to respond to a lawful request for personal information. It also confirmed that privacy laws apply to social media platforms, including group administrators and individual users.
Mr Sheehan was awarded $7,500 in damages for the distress caused, along with a declaration recognising the breach. The administrator has also been ordered to comply with the original request and provide the information.
The decision is being seen as a clear warning that online spaces are not exempt from legal obligations around privacy. Authorities say anyone sharing personal information in digital forums must follow the same rules as they would in other forms of communication.
The case also reinforces the rights of individuals to access information held about them, even when it is shared within private or closed online groups.
As social media continues to play a larger role in everyday interactions, the ruling signals that accountability for privacy breaches extends beyond traditional settings and into the digital world.
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