By: Kieran Doyle, Nicole Gabryk and Leah Mooney.

The Australian Government has recently released the Exposure Draft Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026, marking the next major step in its effort to modernise and strengthen Australia’s privacy laws for the digital age.

The proposed reforms would significantly reshape Australia’s privacy framework, introducing new requirements for handling personal information, consent, data security and breach response. An accompanying Consultation Paper also examines privacy challenges associated with emerging technologies, including wearable devices and smart glasses.

Consultation closes on 18 September 2026.

Our team has prepared an overview of the key proposals and the practical steps organisations should consider when assessing the potential impact on their privacy, data governance and AI initiatives.

Questions? Please contact our team to discuss what the reforms could mean for your organisation.

View PDF

Stay up to date on our Privacy & Data Law reforms

Complete the form below to receive Wotton Kearney’s latest insights on Australia’s evolving privacy framework.