Civil surveillance reforms consultation
The Queensland Government is considering the recommendations made by the Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) in its Report No. 77—Review of Queensland’s laws relating to civil surveillance and the protection of privacy in the context of current and emerging technologies (QLRC report), which was tabled on 29 June 2020.
The Queensland Government released the Civil surveillance reforms consultation paper to guide consultation on a staged approach to considering implementation of the QLRC report, starting with criminal prohibitions on the use of surveillance devices and technologies in both civil and workplace environments.
Surveillance devices are constantly evolving and, over time, have become more sophisticated, accessible and affordable. Their capacity to impact on individuals’ privacy grows as the devices develop and become more widely available. Surveillance devices and technology that are discussed in the consultation paper include CCTV, tracking and digital recording devices, as well as recreational and commercial drones with advanced optical and audio recording capabilities.
Feedback was sought from the community on the best way to achieve the right balance in the use of surveillance technologies to benefit community safety, while limiting their potential use in harmful situations, such as theft, stalking, harassment, and a range of commercial espionage activities.
Have your say
We invited you to provide written submissions in response to the consultation paper.
Submissions closed at 5pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023.
Your privacy
Personal information in your comments or submission have been collected by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG) for the purpose of informing the civil surveillance reforms in Queensland. DJAG may contact you for further information on the issues your raise. Your comments or submission may also be provided to others with an interest in the reforms, for example, Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Safety Committee. Comments and submissions in relation to this consultation paper may be published on DJAG’s website. If you would like your submission, or any part of it, to be treated as confidential, please indicate this clearly. Please note however that all submissions may be subject to disclosure under the Right to Information Act 2009.
Contact
Stakeholders can email questions about this consultation to the Civil Surveillance Reforms Team at CivilSurveillanceReforms@justice.qld.gov.au.