Consumer Attitudes to Privacy

The privacy commissioner's 1995 survey on privacy, titled Consumer Attitudes to Privacy shows that the vast majority of Australians are highly concerned about privacy, that their greatest area of concern is unwanted direct marketing intrusions, and that the overwhelming majority of Australians believe that the government should regulate in this area.

In particular, note the following findings which are highly relevant to the issue of UBE:

• "Most Australians view the confidentiality of personal information held by government and business organisations as one of the most important social issues of our day"

• "Privacy today is not just about keeping confidential the plethora of personal data held by organisations, but, most importantly, about stopping unwanted intrusions into our homes and our affairs. Consistently in the surveys, eight out of ten people are very worried about maintaining the privacy of their home or property."

• "Six in ten believe they have already lost control over how personal information about them is used by companies, and who it is passed on to."

• "When it comes to using our personal information responsibly, commercial organisations arouse our suspicion more than government or professionals. Least trusted are organisations trying to sell something"

• "When [Australians] are asked who can and can't look at their personal information, they consistently say mail order companies - that is companies that sell to people at home - should not have access."

• "Australians ... don’t agree with self-regulation in regard to privacy - most people feel their personal privacy could be threatened if the private sector made its own rules."

• "nearly all Australians believe governments should pass legislation to protect privacy."

The survey in particular indicates that Australians are more concerned about privacy violations by direct marketers than about privacy violations by the government, and that they believe the government should legislate to protect their privacy.