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Privacy

Information about most Australian landline numbers is publicly available. However, some consumers ask for a silent line service, meaning that their number is not listed in public directories or displayed to the receiver of any calls. We can help with your complaints about problems with a silent line. 

We also deal with complaints about how a provider has managed your personal information, such as your contact details or credit information. To resolve your privacy complaints, we’ll consider the law, good industry practice and fairness.
 

Types of privacy complaints

We deal with complaints about privacy such as providers:

  • not providing a silent line after agreeing to
  • accidentally publishing or disclosing an unlisted number
  • not activating calling number display blocking for a silent line
  • sharing a consumer’s personal information without their permission
  • not letting a consumer access their personal information
  • keeping personal information that’s incorrect.

 

What you should expect from your provider: the law and industry practice

Your unlisted numbers should be kept private 

Providers must not disclose an unlisted number or address, and must automatically block calling number display for unlisted landline numbers. Any disclosures should be fixed as soon as possible. We may treat complaints about disclosure as urgent.  

Providers can only share your personal information for certain reasons 

Generally, providers can only use and share your personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, or in ways you would reasonably expect. 

You have a right to access your own personal information 

Generally, a provider that has personal information about you must share that information with you when you ask.

 

More information

For more detailed information read our guidance on Personal information (Australian Privacy Principles) and Silent lines.

How we've helped other customers

Complaint
Existing account security process was not always suitable for consumers who were experiencing family violence
Outcome
Improvement of account security processes to prevent consumer’s personal information being accessed or disclosed without authority
Complaint
We identified an increase in urgent complaints from consumers who could not contact Mode Telco to report service issues
Outcome
Mode Telco redeployed staff from its retail outlets to contact centres and recruited new staff, after which, we observed a significant decrease in urgent complaints
This page was last updated on
30th Aug 2021