Australia. Comprehensive data protection. Act (amendment)
POLA Act 2024Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth)
Partly verified
Medium confidence.Royal assent 2024-12-10 and general commencement 2024-12-11 from general knowledge; legislation.gov.au commencement table could not be read. Tort start 2025-06-10 confirmed.
§1Summary
- Synopsis
Tranche 1 of Australia's Privacy Act reform. It adds tiered civil penalties and infringement notices, a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, a Children's Online Privacy Code, ADM transparency, an overseas-transfer whitelist mechanism, eligible data breach declarations and new doxxing crimes.
- Key themes
- Unique features
Creates a privately actionable tort for intentional or reckless serious invasions of privacy, independent of APP coverage.
- SaaS relevance
SaaS using personal data in substantially automated decisions must disclose this in privacy policies from December 2026; consumer platforms likely accessed by children will be under the new code.
§2Obligations
- Extraterritorial
- Yes
- Maximum penalty
- A$50m/3x benefit/30% turnover; infringement notices for administrative breaches
§3Dates
- Key dates
- Adopted
- In force
- Most of Sch 1 from 2024-12-11; statutory tort (Sch 2) from 2025-06-10; Children's Online Privacy Code to be registered by 2026-12-10; ADM transparency in privacy policies from 2026-12-10; doxxing offences (Sch 3) on assent
§4Text and authority
- Text
- Authoritative text legislation.gov.au
- Authority
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
§5Where it applies
- Domestic law of
- Australia
- Also applies in
§6Sources and verification
- Sources consulted
- Verification
Medium confidence.
Partly verified
Medium confidence.Royal assent 2024-12-10 and general commencement 2024-12-11 from general knowledge; legislation.gov.au commencement table could not be read. Tort start 2025-06-10 confirmed.