The Privacy Act 1988 has applied to most private organisations from 21 December 2001. Our latest eBrief explains how you can use an Internet based membership system to satisfy many of the requirements of the Privacy Act's National Privacy Principles in an extremely cost effective way.
This eBrief explains how you can use an Internet based membership system to satisfy many of the requirements of the Privacy Acts National Privacy Principles in an extremely cost effective way.
The Privacy Act 1988 applies to most private organisations from 21 December 2001. The Privacy Act sets out 10 National Privacy Principles aimed at ensuring that organisations that hold information about people handle that information responsibly (see http://www.privacy.gov.au/news/pab.html#3.2).
Businesses (including non-profit organisations) with an annual turnover of $3 million or less are exempt from the new laws (but there are some exceptions to this exemption see http://www.privacy.gov.au/publications/nppgl_01.html). However, even if the Privacy Act does not apply to your association, members are increasingly expecting associations to apply the National Privacy Principles as a guide to good practice in the handling of personal information.
The Privacy Act regulates the collection and use of personal information. Membership data is personal information if the member can be identified from that information. Accordingly, most information collected by associations about individual members is personal information. In contrast, summary or statistical information is not normally personal information unless it is drawn from so few members that it is possible to work backwards to find out the identity of the members.
Nearly all discussion of the Privacy Act to date has focused on the protection of personal information from disclosure or misuse. However, the National Privacy Principles also deal with individual access to personal information and information collection. These aspects are particularly relevant to Associations.
The National Privacy Principles require you to:
The most effective way to satisfy both of these requirements (and save time and money) is to use an Internet based membership administration system which allows a member online access to their membership information. By giving your members this ability you will exceed the requirements of the National Privacy Principles by providing members with not only access to the information held about them but also the ability to correct the accuracy of that information. Such systems ensure data quality, openness, access and correction all of which are required by the National Privacy Principles.
You must use fair and lawful ways to collect personal information and not do so in an unreasonably intrusive way (NPP 1). You should also collect personal information directly from an individual if it is reasonable and practicable to do so (NPP 1). Associations primarily collect information through membership applications and renewals with attached paper surveys. The infrequency of such surveys mean they typically have many questions and take some time to complete. Why not use an online membership system to survey your members at frequent intervals during the year with only a few quickly answered questions each time. This will increase the number of members that are prepared to participate in the survey giving you more relevant results whilst being less intrusive for members.
On a roughly monthly basis we produce eBriefs - a short (200-500 word) article aimed at keeping association management executives up-to-date with Internet trends and developments and providing general guidance on how Associations can get the most out of the Internet
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GKY Internet specialises in providing Internet related services to associations and the association management industry.
GKY Internet's current product line includes the world-first MAXS(TM) association membership management and control system providing fully integrated association website maintenance, membership management, online publication and email distribution system. To find out more visit http://maxs.gky.net.au.
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