Proposed legal changes were unveiled today that would require Australian companies to ask for consumer permission before sending them personalized mail, mobile phone text messages and e-mail advertisements.
Attorney General Daryl Williams said in a statement that the guidelines were a key step for businesses and consumers in understanding their rights and obligations when new private sector privacy legislation comes into operation on December 21, according to news reports.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has expressed concern that businesses would be unable to meet the tough new guidelines to reform privacy legislation.
"There are a whole series of things that are proposed in the guidelines that are unreasonable impositions," ACCI chief executive Mark Paterson said in the report.
The guidelines include a 10-point checklist requiring companies to comply with a range of requirements such as providing information in other languages or obtaining parental consent for products targeting young people. "There needs to be a fair balance here and the guidelines in our view extend well beyond what was originally anticipated."
Australian Privacy Commissioner Malcolm Crompton, who will gauge public and industry reaction to the proposals in the next two months, said criticism was expected but the guidelines were fair.
Crompton said 92% of people consulted in a community attitude survey conducted by the commission believed businesses should ask permission before using information for direct marketing and, if they did, it would work in their favor.
"Good privacy is good business so it shouldn't just be treated as a compliance issue," Crompton said in the report. "Lets get it right because we are going to make money out of it. "It's good customer relationship management."
