The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has released its privacy regulatory priorities for 2025–26, including use of advertising technology, including pixel tracking, and the application of AI technology in ways that could ‘erode’ information access and privacy rights.
The OAIC will focus on sectors and technologies that compromise rights and create power and information imbalances including:
- the rental and property, credit reporting and data brokerage, sectors;
- advertising technology (Ad tech) such as pixel tracking;
- practices that erode information access and privacy rights in the application of artificial intelligence;
- excessive collection and retention of personal information;
- systemic failures to enable timely access to government information.
The OAIC says it will protect and uphold privacy and information access rights when dealing with new and emerging technologies with high impact, including:
- Facial recognition technology and forms of biometric scanning;
- new surveillance technologies such as location data tracking in apps, cars and other devices;
- the preservation of both privacy and information access rights in government use of artificial intelligence and automated decision making.
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Author: David Jacobson
Principal, Bright Corporate Law
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About David Jacobson
The information contained in this article is not legal advice. It is not to be relied upon as a full statement of the law. You should seek professional advice for your specific needs and circumstances before acting or relying on any of the content.
