This page is subject to review and re-issue.
Pages on the webserver www.asis.gov.au and its sub-domains conform to the following privacy guidelines.
When you visit this web site, we make a record of your visit and log the following information:
All applicants who apply for jobs with ASIS via this website consent to the disclosure of their information to a third-party recruitment consultant. By applying for a position with ASIS, you also consent to ASIS notifying other members of the National Intelligence Community (NIC) that you have made such an application. Members of the NIC are bound by privacy principles similar to those binding ASIS.
The staff who operate this site or access any of the data referred to above are subject to the Intelligence Services Act 2001 and Privacy Rules issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, pursuant to the Intelligence Services Act.
Rule 1: Protecting the privacy of Australian persons – presumptions
1.1 These rules regulate the communication and retention of intelligence information concerning Australian persons. Where it is not clear whether a person is an Australian person:
a. a person within Australia is to be presumed to be an Australian person; and
b. a person outside Australia is to be presumed not to be an Australian person; unless there is evidence to the contrary, including from the context in which the information was collected or the content of the information.
Rule 2: Retention of intelligence information concerning Australian persons
2.1 ASIS may retain intelligence information concerning Australian persons only where it is necessary to do so for the proper performance of ASIS’s functions or the retention is authorised or required by or under another Act.
2.2 Where ASIS does retain intelligence information concerning an Australian person, ASIS is to ensure that:
a. the information is protected, by such security safeguards as it is reasonable in the circumstances to take, against loss, against unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure, and against other misuse; and
b. access to that information is only to be provided to persons who require such access for the proper performance of an ASIS function.
Rule 3: Communication of intelligence information concerning Australian persons
3.1 ASIS may communicate intelligence information concerning Australian persons only where it is necessary to do so for the proper performance of ASIS’s functions or where such communication is authorised or required by or under another Act. In addition, the following specific rules apply.
Specific rules for the communication of intelligence information concerning Australian persons
3.2 Intelligence information concerning an Australian person may be communicated where:
a. the Australian person has consented, either expressly or impliedly, to the communication or the obtaining of that intelligence information for use for intelligence purposes; or
b. the information is publicly available; or
c. the information concerns activities in respect of which the Australian person is a representative of the Commonwealth or a state or territory in the normal course of official duties; or
d. the communication of the intelligence information concerning an Australian person is reasonably necessary for the purposes of:
- maintaining Australia’s national security;
- maintaining Australia’s national economic wellbeing;
- promoting Australia’s foreign relations;
- preventing or investigating the commission of a serious crime; or
- responding to an apparent threat to the safety of a person; or
e. the information concerns an Australian person who is, or was at the time the information was obtained or produced the subject of an authorisation under sections 9, 9A or 9B of the Act.
f. the information concerns an Australian person who is, or was at the time the information was obtained or produced the subject of a section 13B notice; or the information was produced in accordance with section 13B(3) of the Act.
Rule 4: Communication to the Australian Intelligence Community (AIC) and the Commonwealth agencies for their purposes
4.1 ASIS may communicate intelligence information concerning an Australian person or Australian persons to ASIO, AGO, ASD, ONI or DIO (as the case requires) where it relates, or appears to relate, to the performance of the functions of the relevant agency.
4.2 ASIS may communicate intelligence information concerning an Australian person or Australian persons contained in an intelligence report received from an authority of another country to a Commonwealth agency approved by the Minister where it relates or appears to relate to a function of the Commonwealth agency approved by the Minister for the purposes of this rule.
Rule 5: Communication of intelligence information concerning Australian persons where those persons were not subject of deliberate production
5.1 ASIS may communicate intelligence information concerning Australian persons where those persons were not the subject of deliberate production to an authority that ASIS may cooperate with under section 13 of the Act, provided the authority has been approved by the Minister for the purpose of this rule.
5.2 Before approving an authority for the purpose of rule 5.1, the Minister is to be satisfied that there are satisfactory arrangements in place to ensure that the authority will preserve the privacy of Australian persons, consistent with ASIS’s privacy rules.
Rule 6: Accuracy of information
6.1 ASIS is to take reasonable steps to ensure that intelligence information that ASIS retains or communicates concerning Australian persons is recorded or reported in a fair and reasonable manner.
Rule 7: Oversight by the IGIS
7.1 To facilitate the oversight role of the IGIS, ASIS is to take the following measures:
a. the IGIS is to have access to all intelligence information held by ASIS concerning Australian persons;
b. the IGIS is to be consulted about the processes and procedures applied by ASIS to the communication and retention of information concerning Australian persons; and
c. where a presumption under rule 1.1(b) has been found to be incorrect ASIS is to advise the IGIS of the incident and measures taken by ASIS to protect the privacy of the individual; and
d. in any case where a breach of these rules is identified, ASIS is to advise the IGIS of the incident and the measures taken by ASIS to protect the privacy of the Australian person or of Australian persons generally.
Rule 8: Public access to the rules
8.1 ASIS is to ensure that a copy of these rules is publicly available on the ASIS website.