The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia has released the digital advertising industry’s submission to the Government’s Privacy Act Review discussion.
The peak trade association has set out the critical importance of finding the right balance between protection individuals’ privacy and ensuring that the essential and everyday online interactions are not halted in their response.
It highlights consent fatigue as an issue and supports the Government’s objective of reducing this burden on consumers. But the IAB noted concerns about how the paper proposes to achieve this.
Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia, said: “Privacy and consumer trust are fundamental to the functioning of our industry, but we can’t keep throwing more frequent and more detailed notices at consumers.
“If we want to be a leading digital economy and society, the law should not be restricting legitimate uses of data that are not harmful, are within consumers’ expectations and are necessary to support online business.
“The regulatory framework should address harmful practices without slowing down the digital economy or the advertising that funds it,” she said.
IAB Australia has pointed out three main areas of concern in the Government’s proposals:
• Privacy regulations should not prevent legitimate data practices that support the digital economy.
• The legislation should remain principles-based and ‘tech neutral’ so that it can adapt to evolving data practices over time.
• The Australian regulatory framework should not be more restrictive than overseas jurisdictions such as the UK and the EU. This would stifle innovation and put Australian businesses at a competitive disadvantage to those based overseas.
Le Roy added: “Getting the regulatory settings right is no simple task. We very much welcome this important discussion and look forward to working constructively with the Government to achieve a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework that will remain relevant into the future.”
Collecting data is a critical funding component, it facilitates the internet ecosystem, enables free content and services to be delivered to millions of Australian consumers every day. It also supports sectors including retail, finance, automotive
Data is a critical funding component and facilitates the internet ecosystem, enabling free content and services to be delivered to millions of Australians every day, and supporting sectors including retail, finance, automotive, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), technology and real estate.