15 March 2018
What’s happened?
The private information of millions of Facebook users across the globe has potentially been used to generate political advertising.
Political research firm Cambridge Analytica has been accused of mining the data of 50 million Facebook users to engineer political advertising during the 2016 US election campaign.
The Australian Privacy Commissioner is looking into whether any personal information of Australians has been acquired and whether further regulatory action is needed.
Does it affect me?
When you sign up to social media platforms you agree to the privacy policies of each individual site.
Privacy policies govern how your personal information can be used — some social media organisations may share your information, such as email addresses or user preferences, with third party businesses.
How do I stay safe?
It is very important that you take the time to read the privacy policies of each social media platform before you sign up.
Privacy policies can also change so it’s a good idea to regularly review the policy and check how much information you reveal in your profile.
More information
If you have concerns about how your personal information has been collected or managed you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au
Go to Stay Smart Online for more information on how you can protect your personal information when socialising online.
The information provided here is of a general nature. Everyone’s circumstances are different. If you require specific advice you should contact your local technical support provider.
Feedback
Thank you to those subscribers who have provided feedback to our Alerts and Newsletters. We are very interested in your feedback and where possible take on board your suggestions or requests.Disclaimer
This information has been prepared by the Attorney General’s Department (‘the Department’). It was accurate and up to date at the time of publishing.
This information is general information only and is intended for use by private individuals and small to medium sized businesses. If you are concerned about a specific cyber security issue you should seek professional advice.
The Commonwealth and all other persons associated with this advisory accept no liability for any damage, loss or expense incurred as a result of the provision of this information, whether by way of negligence or otherwise.
Nothing in this information (including the listing of a person or organisation or links to other web sites) should be taken as an endorsement of a particular product or service.
Please note that third party views or recommendations included in this information do not reflect the views of the Commonwealth, or indicate its commitment to a particular course of action. The Commonwealth also cannot verify the accuracy of any third party material included in this information.