The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and its counterpart in the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to assist each other in policy development and the enforcement of laws protecting personal information.
The MoU recognises the convergence of forces in the privacy landscape - the combination of ever-changing technology, the amounts of personal information that move rapidly around the globe, and the increasing role of data in driving our economies. Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk has highlighted that developing global interoperability in data protection laws is an essential element in contemporary privacy regulation.
The MoU also reflects the common mission of the OAIC and ICO to uphold information rights.
Both organisations will work together to protect personal data through:
- Sharing experience, expertise and ways of working,
- Cooperating on specific projects and investigations, including joint research and
- Sharing information and intelligence to support each other’s work.
The MoU identifies the regulation of children’s privacy being a potential area for co-operation. The ICO recently published its Code of Practice to protect children’s privacy online.
The OAIC looks forward to working with its ICO colleagues and further deepening the already strong and positive relationship.
