Case 324205 [2023] NZPrivCmr 3: Photo of woman kept in public view at organisation

Source: Privacy Commissioner

26 Oct 2023, 09:00Principle 5 states that an agency must ensure there are safeguards in place that are reasonable in the circumstances to prevent loss, misuse, or disclosure of personal information. In this case, the agency failed to ensure the photograph of the woman was secure from public view.
Principle 10 states that an agency can generally only use personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, and there are limits on using personal information for different purposes. In this case, the agency could not explain the purpose for the photograph, or the reason it was displayed on the wall. 
Principle 11 says an agency should not disclose personal information unless it can rely on exception for doing so. The reason for displaying the photograph had long since been forgotten, yet it was kept up for several years.The agency took the photograph down and offered the woman an apology. The woman was not satisfied with the apology and explained she wanted financial compensation.Read more about information retention and storage best practice.