Striking a blow for privacy

On Monday the Privacy Commissioner ruled that Westpac bank had breached Nicky Hager's privacy rights by passing his personal information to police without a production order. Now, Hager is off to the Human Rights Review Tribunal to enforce that decision:

Mr Hager believes the attitude of Westpac has left him with no choice but to continue with his case. “He has asked Westpac to acknowledge that it breached his rights.

Despite the Privacy Commissioner’s ruling, it has not been prepared to do that," Mr Hager's lawyer Felix Geiringer said.

Mr Hager will be asking the Human Rights Review Tribunal for binding orders requiring that Westpac not give its customers' bank transaction data to the Police without a production order.

If he's successful, it will have a privacy benefit for hundreds of thousands of kiwis who use Westpac's services. So, here's hoping.