Protect your privacy

Protect. Detect. Correct.

You can play an active role in protecting your privacy by being aware of where you are and who, or what, may be watching you.

Camera surveillance

Queenslanders are commonly subject to video surveillance in public places. It’s highly likely that your image will be recorded when you walk down city streets, travel on public transport, drive on freeways, visit shopping centres and attend sporting events.

Your movements and activities can legally be recorded, by both government agencies and private operators.

For example, the interurban rail network is home to approximately 6800 surveillance cameras. Approximately 4300 are installed in railway stations and car parks, while 2500 inside train carriages.

Brisbane City Council operates more than 1108 CitySafe cameras in Brisbane.

The Gold Coast City Council has over 130 cameras operating in Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Southport and Coolangatta central business districts. These cameras are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by licensed operators within a central control room.

The Ipswich City Council has over 180 cameras across the Ipswich region. The cameras are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a central facility which has direct contact with the Queensland Police Service, and security companies.

A $200,000 investment by Logan City Council has seen the recent installation of cameras at three new sites in Woodridge, Rochedale South and Crestmead, adding to the 150 existing cameras in use throughout the Logan area.

To investigate the use of Queensland Government agency camera surveillance, the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) has recently launched a review into CCTV (closed-circuit television) use by the Queensland Government, to establish why surveillance systems are being used, and how well these systems comply with privacy law. The results of the review, once tabled in Parliament, will be available for viewing.

Security cameras installed flourish within the private sector, they appear in the vast majority of taxis throughout Queensland (over 3000) and secure taxi ranks in entertainment precincts. There are even media reports of head-cams (cameras, worn over the ear) being increasingly used by security staff at licensed venues in Queensland.

In March 2012, The Australian reported that Surf Lifesaving Australia is commencing a 12-month trial during which 1kg unmanned aerial vehicles will fly across unpatrolled Queensland beaches relaying vision in real time to a lifesaver with a laptop. These unmanned aerial vehicles are intended to spot somebody who’s in trouble in the water, walking into a rip, or even help spot a shark.

The use of camera surveillance within the private sector may be covered by Federal Privacy Law.

Shoulder surfing

The availability of affordable internet-enabled mobile phones and tablets in Australia has contributed to a sharp increase in the number of people accessing the internet remotely. A good deal of this activity occurs on public transport, and in other public spaces, where members of the public may be watching.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) report, 'Emerging Mobile Telecommunications Service Market in Australia Report', studied the behaviours of smart phone and 3G mobile users in Australia (aged 14 years and over). As part of this study, the ACMA found that during the month of June 2011:

  • 3.9 million mobile users went online
  • 1.55 million of these used social networking services
  • 751,000 used banking and bill payment services online
  • 100,000 purchased a good or service online
  • 555,000 streamed videos or movies
  • 304,000 streamed audio content
  • 274,000 used a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol e.g. voice-messaging applications) service.

The report identified growth in social networking, banking and online transactions as key drivers of increased online participation via mobile phones and other remote access devices. It is in these online environments that individuals generally share their most personal information. You should be aware that when you’re surfing the internet in a public space the information you are receiving and posting may be overseen or overheard.

Public computers and unsecured networks

When using public computers (such as internet cafes or local libraries) if possible browse websites that do not require log in information. If you must log into a website, remember the following:

  • do not use 'remember password' options
  • disable any 'auto complete' feature
  • someone may have installed a keystroke logger, in order to capture any
  • details you enter such as your password, credit card number or bank details
  • do not forget to click the 'sign out' button after the session—just closing the browser does not mean you are logged out
  • browsers keep track of the websites you visit and details you enter online, and these are stored as files. Instructions on how to delete these files are available.

Even if you use your own laptop, or other device, be aware that public networks (wired or wireless) are inherently unsafe. Information you exchange on an unsecured network may be accessed by another device. Hackers are easily able to open a wireless access point within your computer, because the exchange between your computer and the network server is unsecure. In these circumstances, an intercept can go unnoticed.

Trash or treasure?

Be careful what you throw out. Burn or shred personal financial information such as statements, credit card offers, receipts, insurance forms, etc.

Identity theft is big business. In Australia alone the proceeds of identity fraud are estimated to be nearly $6 billion a year. Worldwide, it may be as high as $100 billion. However, it is almost impossible to say what the precise cost of identity theft is.

It’s amazing the proportion of identity theft that’s derived from rummaging through letterboxes and garbage bins. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a Melbourne man was arrested and charged with defrauding Victorian merchants of more than $500,000, by using 103 forged credit cards, all with genuine numbers, most probably obtained from documents stolen from letter boxes.

It may be that one of the best ways to protect your identity is, quite simply, to put a lock on your letterbox.

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