Privacy Foundation New Zealand Working Groups

Privacy Foundation NZ has 7 working groups:

  • Children’s Privacy (Convenor: Annette Mills)
  • Hauora Health Privacy (Convenor: Rebecca Hawkins)
  • Legislation and Regulatory Reform (Convenor: Louisa Joblin)
  • Privacy in the Digital Economy (Convenor: Marcin Betkier)
  • Surveillance (Convenor: Gehan Gunasekara)
  • Security (Convenors: Lisa Patterson, Ian Welch)
  • Privacy in Employment (Convenors: Nathan Akhavan-Moossavi, Amanda Reilly)

The groups are fluid and cross-working. They will change from time to time. The purpose, membership and contact points for each working group are given below.

Children’s Privacy

Working Group

Convenor: Annette Mills

Members: Marcin Betkier, Rebecca Hawkins, Dr Caroline Keen

This Group looks at privacy issues affecting tamariki and children including:

  • Privacy in online learning and education
  • Online privacy and security
  • Targeting for commercial or other gain (through apps, games, toys, social media, political campaigns, etc.)
  • The collection, use and disclosure of tamariki and children’s health information (including mental health information)
  • Collection of large data sets by government and non-government agencies
  • The potential surveillance/tracking of children and other privacy harms

Hauora Health Privacy

Working Group

Convenor: Rebecca Hawkins

Members: Barbara Robson, Pat Cunniffe, Rebecca Hawkins, Andelka Phillips, Susanne Ames, Brendan Marks

The Working Group focuses on keeping up to date with privacy impacts of current and evolving topics, policy, issues and information technology relating to health -related services and the health sector. There is significant change across the health sector. Privacy, security, and information management continue to be central to effective, modern models for delivery of services, and to ensure people’s rights are respected. The Group explores and engages on privacy issues arising from the changes, providing thought leadership.

Upcoming mahi/work centres on:

  • Covid-19 and privacy. The Group will comment as necessary on any legislative changes, ongoing development and/or repurposing of digital technologies, information systems and registers. Focus will be to ensure there is transparency about what information needs to be destroyed or kept as systems are retired.
  • The Manutū Hauora/Ministry of Health’s Data and Information Strategy for Health and Disability: He Rautaki Raraunga, He Rautaki Pārongo mō te Punaha, Whaikaha hoki and associated Roadmap 2021- 2024 These documents set out the ways the Ministry plans to change the management of patient data across the health and disability sector and to other sectors which influence and/or enable health and wellbeing. Areas of attention include the wider use and sharing of health data, and consumer rights and choice for sharing information. The Group would like to see guidance that reflects safe, modern data practices.
  • The virtual electronic health record Hira. Hira will allow people to access their health information online. Health Practitioners can access the information they need at the right time. The Group plans to engage with the Hira programme to support the incorporation of robust privacy and security safeguards.
  • Vulnerable Consumer privacy issues. Investigation of privacy issues and policy impacts that vulnerable consumers and patients may face. This includes continuation of our interest in the management of health information of Medically Dependent Consumers (people who are reliant on electricity for medical support) held by electricity retailers

Legislation and Regulatory Reform

Working Group

Convenor: Louisa Joblin

Members: Louisa Joblin, Amelia Schaaf, Polly Ralph, Keith Norris, Nalin Wijetilleke, Marcin Betkier

To monitor and comment on significant legislation and regulations affecting privacy. The Privacy Bill was the prime focus for the working group in 2019.

Privacy in Employment

Working Group

Convenor: Amanda Reilly & Nathan Akhavan-Moossavi

Members: Nathan Akhavan-Moossavi, Amanda Reilly, Izaak Lynch, Josh Fairfield, John Goddard, Annick Masselot, William Fussey

This group focuses on the privacy issues in an employment context. From the increased use of biometrics to manage shift work to whether what is said on a work device is private, this group looks at the topical issues. There is a LinkedIn page which we encourage you to join if you are interested in this working group.

Privacy in the Digital Economy

Working Group

Convenor: Marcin Betkier

Members: Marcin Betkier, Alexandra Chapman, Annette Mills, Sophie Watson, John Wiseman

The purpose of this group is to advocate for a digital economy that respects individual and collective privacy interests. The group is particularly interested in:

  • Promoting ways to responsibly use personal data in the digital economy
  • Providing commentary on technology and policy that has implications for the collection and use of personal data
  • Understanding how cybersecurity can help to preserve privacy interests

The list of topics which we would like to work on in 2024:

  • The increasing use of biometric information in the public and private sector
  • Consumer and Product Data Bill
  • Artificial Intelligence and privacy

Security

Working Group

Convenor: Lisa Patterson, Ian Welch

Members: Maryam Var Naseri, Dedy Hendro, Vidyasagar Kulkarni, Tim Sweet

The Security working group looks at Privacy issues through a Security lens. Newly formed in 2024, some issues we will be exploring include:

  • Insider Threat
  • appropriate employee browsing
  • Privacy implications of BYOD devices
  • Other Security implications relating to Privacy

Surveillance

Working Group

Convenor: Gehan Gunasekara

Members: Gehan Gunasekara, Marcin Betkier, Caitlin MacDonald, Annette Mills

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected both the nature of surveillance and public attitudes towards it. Surveillance includes traditional types such as by intelligence or law enforcement agencies but is also increasingly prevalent through techniques such as sentiment analysis and social listening within both the public and private sectors.

In 2022, the group will:

  • Identify and highlight new forms of surveillance that pose a risk to reasonable expectations of privacy
  • Continue to hold government agencies, including intelligence agencies, accountable for their surveillance practices
  • Examine issues connected with collective privacy interests including surveillance of groups of individuals