Privacy breaches can come from anywhere that personal information is held or used by an organisation. This includes places where a breach may be less expected like when local councils deal with dogs, their registration, and complaints about them. 

The 2026 General Election is coming up on 7 November 2026, and an important part of the democratic process is keeping people, their information, and votes safe and secure.

It’s human nature to chat about other people but when those people are children I’d say we need to do better as a nation. The recent events in Marakopa, the actions of Tom Phillips, and the lives of his three children have generated a strong emotional response within our motu, and across the world. It’s understandable that people want to know the circumstances, how such events were able to happen, and whether the people involved are okay. 

Sometimes it’s critical to get information to people who want to help. But how do we balance great uses of personal information with strong protections for people’s privacy?

A privacy policy that is “by the book” is no good if it’s by the wrong book. New Zealand agencies need to comply with New Zealand privacy law.

by Michael Webster, Privacy Commissioner

Two factor authentication (sometimes called multi-factor authentication) is a good way to keep your information safe and secure.

One of the greatest risks to privacy in the workplace could be sitting next to you - or it could even be you.