Your clients privacy is on your hands
You open your laptop, fire up your browser, log into an electronic health portal, while listening to music on a smart speaker.
Under the surface of these routine actions, your hardware and software are harvesting metadata, sampling pixels, caching text, and uploading ambient background audio to overseas servers.
Clear privacy promise
The duty sits with the user (you)
";Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), health information is strictly classified as "sensitive information". This places a heavy burden of compliance on health professionals under the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) specifically APP 3 (Collection of Sensitive Information), APP 8 (Cross-Border Disclosure), and APP 11 (Security of Personal Information).
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Modern tech relies on opt-out privacy
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Modern tech relies on opt-out privacy
Every smart device samples its environment (audio, network, physical location etc) and reports back by default to improve targeted adverts. Sensitive client data will inevitably be scooped up in this data harvest.
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AI is now embedded at the device level
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AI is now embedded at the device level
Windows based devices will automatically take screen shots every few seconds so the onboard AI knows what you are doing and can help when asked.
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Sharing with vendors and offshore storage
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Sharing with vendors and offshore storage
While we all spend a huge amount of time and effort auditing our chosen technology vendors for privacy compliance, there is a whole "shadow stack" of software running that is simply ignored.
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Practical checklist
Disable Windows Recall
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows AI > Turn off Save Snapshots for Recall
Stop using Chrome
Chrome is an excellent tool for advertisers, it is not fit for purpose for sensitive data. Switch to Brave or Firefox and learn how to set them up safely.
Check iCloud Sync
By default iCloud wil sync "Documents", "Downloads" and "Desktop". If you keep sensitive data in any of these places it is now being used to train Apple AI. Turn off this syncing, or don't store data in these locations
Make Smart TVs dumb
If a smart TV is in your waiting room, or if you "cast" sensitive data to that smart TV, it is violating privacy. In future buy dumb, but for now, turn off internet access, and buy a long HDMI cable
Sign the Petition
PractAus acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work across Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
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