New Zealand Watchdog Pushes for Updated, Stronger Privacy Act
New Zealand's Privacy Act needs to be updated amid swelling numbers of privacy complaints and data breach notifications submitted to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, the DPA said in a statement Thursday.
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The office's 2024-25 annual report showed that privacy complaints were up 21% from the previous year, and serious privacy breach notifications rose 43%, it noted.
Its 2025 privacy survey of 1,000 New Zealanders showed that 66% of respondents agreed that protecting personal privacy is a major concern, and 67% are worried about children's privacy, the office said. A large majority of respondents were also concerned about government agencies and businesses using AI to make decisions about them based on their personal data. Over 80% said they want more control and choice over the collection and use of their data.
The DPA said it's pushing for a modernized privacy law because the current version "provides insufficient incentives for many organisations to understand or meet even the most basic privacy requirements."
The watchdog called for New Zealanders to have a right to erasure, which would allow them to ask agencies to delete their personal information, as well as strong incentives, such as higher penalties, to force agencies to take privacy seriously. It also recommended that an updated law give people tougher protections for automated decision-making.