Identifying information

56.13 A credit information file may contain information that is ‘reasonably necessary to identify the individual’.[6] Under s 18E(3), the Privacy Commissioner has determined that credit information files may contain: an individual’s full name, including any known aliases, sex, and date of birth; a maximum of three addresses consisting of a current or last known address and two immediately previous addresses; the name of the individual’s current or last known employer; and the individual’s driver’s licence number.[7]

56.14 The identifying information included in credit information files is important as it affects the value of credit reporting information for non-credit related purposes, such as identity verification, and the accuracy of credit reporting because identifiers are used to match credit reporting records.[8] These issues are discussed further in Chapters 57 and 58.

[6]Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) s 18E(1)(a).

[7] Privacy Commissioner, Determination under the Privacy Act 1988: 1991 No 2 (s 18E(3)): Concerning Identifying Particulars Permitted to be Included in a Credit Information File, 11 September 1991.

[8] N Waters—Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre UNSW, Submission PR 277, 3 April 2007; Australian Privacy Foundation, Submission PR 275, 2 April 2007.