#2015PAW

You may have read on social media that Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) 2015 starts this Monday, 3rd May – but what exactly is it, and who else does it?

PAW was started by the the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities forum (APPA) in a bid to get countries in the Asia Pacific region promoting privacy issues and highlighting the importance of protecting personal information. And so the relevant office or commissioner for each region will encourage organisations to assist in raising awareness in their respective country.

For us in Australia, it is the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), and they have promoted this year’s theme, which is Privacy everyday. In the words of the OAIC:

“Privacy should be an essential component of everyday life, including transactions such as internet banking, social media and online shopping. The theme emphasises the need for organisations to embed privacy practices into business as usual processes, and for individuals and the community to think about how to protect privacy in their everyday lives.” ¹

At My Privacy Policy, we agree and have been stating for a long time, that businesses need to be building and creating websites with privacy in mind, whether it’s a new website or a new service. Similarly (albeit not always easy), we need to be informing consumers about potential everyday privacy risks that can be avoided with minor education.

It is for this reason that PAW exists, and why we are corporate partners for the 2015 event. Follow the tips and the coverage via our social media channels, and our News page.

If you would like to be a part of PAW 2015, you can find out more here: http://bit.ly/1D0cOu2