Australia will create a new privacy commissioner position as part of the ongoing effort to improve privacy laws following devastating data breaches.
A standalone privacy commissioner will be appointed to deal with the growing threats to data security to protect the personal information of millions of Australians.
The privacy regulator will have the resources and powers to meet the ongoing challenges of the digital age.
Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus stated that "The large-scale data breaches of 2022 were distressing for millions of Australians, with sensitive personal information being exposed to the risk of identity fraud and scams,"
Mr Dreyfus ordered a complete review of the Privacy Act last year after declaring it was no longer "fit for purpose".
Penalties for companies that fail to protect data from being stolen was increased to 50m in 2022.
