Archives for November 2016

ACCC guidance for platform operators

With the advent of sharing economy platforms such as Uber and Airbnb no longer the exclusive realm of millennials, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published a guide for Platform Operators in the Sharing Economy (Guide) to advise of their obligations in complying with Australian competition and consumer protection laws.

The Guide is aimed at operators who run online platforms that facilitate the connection of suppliers of goods and services with consumers who need short-term use of those goods or services. [Read more…]

Legal issues for data loss

It’s horrible for any organisation to contemplate the possibility of data loss.   Organisations collect and create a variety of data that includes personal, confidential and proprietary information (Intellectual Property).  In many instances, loss of this data can be terminal for the organisation.  Losses can be economic and reputational and can be thought of coming from two (2) distinct sources, external or internal.

[Read more…]

Data Breach Bill 2016 – considerations for data security

Updated 4 April 2017.

In recent times, high profile data breaches such as the 2015 Ashley Madison scandal, which saw the names of up to 900,000 Australian users published online, have shown the type of detriment that can be caused when personal information is compromised by a data breach.  Even icons of the Australian retail sector such as Kmart and David Jones have had customer data lost to hackers in 2015.  One year prior, Optus reported three (3) separate data breaches, with the security of the personal information of over 300,000 of its customers being compromised.  These are just a few instances which highlight the magnitude of the issue in Australia. [Read more…]

“Approved by ASIC” – a $20,000 problem…

Whilst the financial services sector seems to have embraced the innovation economy, a recent case shows just how important it is for Australian Financial Services Licence, (AFS) holders to take care when advertising their products.

A recent case brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, (ASIC) is a reminder that when advertising investment schemes precise language needs to be used.

[Read more…]

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