ATTENTION NSW MEMBERS - Privacy audits are happening now, and they’re unannounced
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has begun spot audits of real estate agencies to check compliance with the Privacy Act.
What they are looking at?
Whether your Privacy Policy is current and compliant, not outdated or generic
Whether your privacy procedures are actually being followed, not just written down
How you collect, store, use and dispose of personal information, including in-person data collection at opens and appointments
Why this matters
Audits are unannounced, agencies can be checked at any time
• Non-compliance can lead to serious penalties
• This is happening across the industry right now, not a future risk
What you should do now
Review and update your Privacy Policy immediately
Make sure staff understand and apply privacy procedures day to day
Check that your real-world practices match what your policy says
Bottom line
If your privacy compliance hasn’t been reviewed recently, now is the time. This is an active enforcement issue, not a box-ticking exercise.
READ MORE ON THE REINSW LINK BELOW