Home topics news Credit: Claudio Schwarz News News Small businesses face big challenges in privacy law overhaul Yajush Gupta January 26, 2024 The Australian government recently made a new law that lets them make businesses share user information, even if it’s protected by secret codes. If businesses can’t access encrypted data for the government, they have to make tools so the police can get to users’ info. Starting in 2024, small businesses can’t escape privacy rules. This affects a lot of businesses, and if they don’t follow the rules, they’ll get fined and might damage their reputation if data gets leaked. For small business owners, making a privacy plan that follows the rules can be hard. That’s why it’s crucial to get help from privacy experts. A privacy plan is like a set of rules inside the company that makes sure they follow the privacy laws. With the right help, businesses can put in good processes to lower risks from data and privacy rules and stick to their business goals. Hana Lee, qualified data privacy expert and start-up and capital leader at Melbourne law firm, Burch&Co, urges small businesses to take a proactive approach and start building a fit-for-purpose privacy program to navigate the sweeping reforms in data privacy. “In 2024, there is not a single business that does not work with or store customer data in some way,” Hana said. “When it comes to privacy considerations, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The Privacy Act