Australia: Adopted Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022 increasing penalties for data breaches

On 28 November 2022, the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022, increasing penalties for data privacy violations, was adopted by both houses of the Parliament. The Bill increases the maximum penalty for serious or repeated data privacy breaches from AUD 2.22 million, under current legislation, to AUD 50 million or three times the value of benefits obtained by the misuse of information or 30% of the company's turnover. The penalty amount will be determined based on which of the three is the highest. The Bill gives the Australian privacy authorities greater powers to resolve privacy breaches and increases their information-sharing capabilities.