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Lodge with the Privacy Commissioner

Thirty days have passed since you complained to the company. The Commissioner takes it in writing, with the paper trail.

Subject: Privacy complaint — [the agency][your full name], DOB [your date of birth]

To the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

Complainant: [your full name], DOB [your date of birth], [your email]
Respondent: [the agency]
Their reference: [their reference]

What happened and when

On [the date they received it] I requested access to my personal information under APP 12. [what happened].

My complaint to the respondent

I complained in writing to [the agency] and asked for the ground in APP 12.3 relied on and the written reasons APP 12.9 requires. A copy is attached, with every reply. More than 30 days have passed.

What the respondent has done to fix it

Nothing that answers the request.

The outcome I want

[what you want done]

[your full name]
today

Which body

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: the online form, or the form emailed to oaicintake@oaic.gov.au. A bank, insurer or super fund is also covered by AFCA, and the OAIC may send you there first.

Which clock

After 30 days with the company

OAIC, Before you lodge a privacy complaint

Which document

Your written complaint to the company, its response, the reference numbers, and what you want to happen.

The receipts
Complain to the organisation or agency first … If they don’t respond to your complaint within 30 days or you’re not happy with their response, you can lodge a complaint with us.OAIC, Before you lodge a privacy complaint with us
your complaint to us must be made in writing. We can’t take your complaint over the phone.OAIC, Before you lodge a privacy complaint with us
a complaint should first be made in writing to the APP entity (s 40(1A)); the entity should be given a reasonable time (usually 30 days) to respondOAIC, APP Guidelines, Chapter 12, para 12.87