Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) is an annual campaign led by Australia’s privacy regulator, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). PAW promotes awareness of the importance of protecting personal information and strengthening privacy practices.
In 2026, Privacy Awareness Week runs from 4 May to 10 May. Expanding on last year’s theme that privacy is a shared responsibility, not solely a matter for senior management, the 2026 theme ‘Trust is built here. In every privacy complaint. In every resolution’ highlights the critical role of effective privacy management in building consumer confidence.
Why trust and privacy matter
Embedding privacy into all business operations is essential to fostering trust and confidence. As community expectations continue to rise, individuals are increasingly aware of their rights and are paying close attention to how organisations handle personal information, including how privacy concerns are managed when they arise. PAW is a valuable opportunity for organisations to reflect on their current privacy practices, identify areas for improvement, and reinforce a strong privacy culture.
Privacy complaints as a trust touchpoint
The way an organisation responds to privacy concerns can shape consumer trust, reduce the risk of escalation and highlight issues that need to be addressed promptly. Effective complaint handling is not only good practice, it is essential to meeting obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
Privacy complaints can also provide valuable insight, helping organisations identify systemic issues, improve decision‑making, and strengthen privacy practices before problems escalate.
What good privacy complaint handling looks like
A core element of good privacy management is transparency. Organisations must:
- Investigate every privacy complaint appropriately
- Acknowledge receipt and respond promptly
- Review and improve privacy practices on an ongoing basis to account for changing systems and technology used in all lifecycles of personal information collected and held by the business.
Risks of getting it wrong
Failure to properly manage personal information can cause serious reputational harm and erode public confidence. In addition, recent reforms to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) have escalated financial penalties for privacy breaches, emphasising that privacy is at the forefront of all decision making when it comes to the collection, use, disclosure or storage of personal information.
Further information on PAW 2026, the Australian Privacy Principles and other privacy-related guidance is available here.
How we can help
Meridian Lawyers assists organisations and individuals to understand and meet their privacy obligations. We advise clients on privacy and data security obligations, including managing responses to data breaches, developing privacy materials, and negotiating appropriate contractual arrangements before any personal information is exchanged with service providers.
If you have questions about your obligations when collecting, handling, disclosing or storing personal information, or would like assistance reviewing your privacy practices and procedures, please contact Special Counsel Hayley Bowman or Principal Lawyer Mark Fitzgerald.
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