On 21 December 2001 legislation came into force applying the Privacy Act to certain parts of the private sector. Formerlly National Privacy Principles applied to these parts of the private sector while Information Privacy Principles aplied to Commonwealth government agencies.
Since 12 March 2014 a new unified series of Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) sets legally binding standards within which certain private organisations, as well as Commonweath Government agencies, must operate.