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

On 13 December 2022, the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022, increasing penalties for data privacy violations, was implemented after receiving royal assent the day before. 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.