The Privacy Commissioner administers the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and is able to assist individuals who have complaints regarding privacy issues relating to Commonwealth Government agencies, private organisations, consumer credit reporting activities, tax file numbers and spent conviction. The Privacy Commissioner has broad powers to ensure privacy [s 27] including:

Most investigations into breaches of the IPPs and NPPs result from complaints. Investigations may also occur in matters that come to the Privacy Commissioner's attention in other ways [s 40]. The Privacy Commissioner has broad powers to obtain information and documents [s 44], to enter premises, to examine witnesses [s 45] and to compel attendance at compulsory conferences [s 46].

Having investigated, the Privacy Commissioner may determine whether there has been an interference with a person's privacy and make various declarations, including payment of compensation to the person concerned [s 52]. However, for the Privacy Commissioner's determination to be enforced a new action must be taken in the Federal Court.

If you wish to make a complaint about an agency's or an organisation's practices which you think amounts to an arbitrary or unreasonable interference with your privacy, you should contact the Privacy Commissioner with details of the practices which you think interfere with your privacy.