The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) commenced a joint investigation into the personal information handling practices of the Latitude group of companies.
Article continues below
This decision follows preliminary inquiries into the matter by both offices. This is the first joint privacy investigation by Australia and New Zealand and reflects the impact of the data breach on individuals in both countries.
The investigation will allow the efficient use of both agencies’ resources and reduce the regulatory impact on Latitude. It does not preclude the OAIC and OPC reaching separate regulatory outcomes or making separate decisions regarding the most appropriate regulatory response to a breach.
The OAIC investigation will focus on whether Latitude took reasonable steps to protect the personal information they held from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
The investigation will also consider whether Latitude took reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify personal information that was no longer required.
If the investigation leads to a finding that Latitude has breached one or more of the Australian Privacy Principles, then the Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner may make a determination that can include requiring Latitude to take steps to ensure the act or practice is not repeated or continued, and to redress any loss or damage.
If the investigation finds serious and/or repeated interferences with privacy in contravention of Australian privacy law, then the Commissioner has the power to seek civil penalties through the Federal Court of up to $50 million for each contravention.
Latitude Group, a provider of credit cards and personal loans for some of Australia's biggest retailers, said in March hackers stole nearly 8 million Australian and New Zealand drivers' licence numbers.
The breach was New Zealand's largest and one of the biggest in Australia. Hackers also took about 53,000 passport numbers and more than 6 million customer records, mostly from between 2005 and 2013. ■
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that AgriAmerica Fruit Products has completed the revitalization and upgrade of a 69,000-square-foot grape juice processing facility located at 200 Water Street in the Village of Fredonia.