543 ACC privacy breaches since last year

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543 ACC breaches since last year

3News NZ

A 3 News investigation has revealed the corporation has been involved in more than 500 breaches over just seven months

A 3 News investigation has revealed the corporation has been involved in more than 500 breaches over just seven months

The ACC is still breaching people's privacy at an average rate of more than once a day, despite being told to get its act together after the Bronwyn Pullar scandal.

A 3 News investigation has revealed the corporation has been involved in more than 500 breaches over just seven months.

The Pullar privacy scandal claimed these scalps: ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart, board chairman John Judge and two board members, among others.

But ACC Minister Judith Collins survived and last year demanded action, saying she wanted “the culture of ACC to change”.

However, figures obtained under the Official Information Act reveal that culture continues to leak like a sieve.

“She's the minister in charge,” says Labour ACC spokesman. “She's got rid of half the board. She's got rid of the CEO. Her excuses are running out.”

It all started when Ms Pullar exposed a massive breach in March last year. She was sent private details of more than 6000 ACC claimants. That's counted as one breach.

After that, ACC was ordered to keep figures. 3 News can now reveal them.

In May last year, there were 93 privacy breaches, and they've continued steadily each month, peaking at 104 in July. Through the later part of the year they continued, with around 60 to 80 a month – a total of 543 breaches since ACC was meant to get it all under control.

“I was astounded by the high number of breaches,” says Green Party MP Kevin Hague.

3 News asked ACC just how significant some of the breaches were, and got a generic answer.

“It's personal information about individuals,” says the organisation. “It's medical information. So that's the kind of information we're particularly concerned about.”

The minister says some of the breaches were minor.

“What it is, is the reality,” says Ms Collins. “[With] 1.7 million claims you're going to get mistakes made.”

The ACC privacy saga has a way to go yet. An investigation is still under way into who leaked emails between Ms Collins and former board members that revealed Ms Pullar as the whistleblower.

If you have been affected by an ACC privacy breach, contact Brook Sabin on bsabin@mediaworks.co.nz.

3 News

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Comments

5/02/2013 6:44:31 a.m.

Just Me wrote:

Since National came to power in 2008 there has been ACC,WINZ and GCSB privacy breaches.I am sure these three organisations are just the tip of the ice-berg.Right now I am compiling a list of all the self-serving etc things that this government has done especially over the past 24 months.No wonder no-one has any confidence in this National government.All credibility and trust no longer exists by the NZ voters towards the National government.So far my list is up to 17 items with more being added as they come to mind.

31/01/2013 9:45:43 a.m.

Kathy wrote:

National now believe that not disclosing information is tantamount to fixing the issue. Or in other words they havent fixed a thing and dont intend too.

31/01/2013 8:31:33 a.m.

SANBE wrote:

Typical New Zealand culture. We do not have any news worth reporting on, so we make a big scene about the ACC breaches again. This error rate, represents under 0.10% which in any business is fantastic. In manufacturing, if you can keep wastage under 5% you are doing good. In retail if you can keep theft and losses to under 5% you are doing good. In hospitality if you can keep breakage and waste to under 10% you are doing good. So get a life and look for some news worthy items.

31/01/2013 8:30:15 a.m.

Mike wrote:

How many breaches were there 1999-2008?

Oh wait, there was too many to count, so they didn't.

Government departments have allows leaked and the first step in stopping the breaches is to identify them, identify how they happened, and reprimand people not following procedure,a nd implement new procedures to stop leaks.

We have people who think that identifying breaches a bad thing, yet they are the first step in fixing the problem, a problem that has been ignored for decades.

31/01/2013 6:30:01 a.m.

Brent wrote:

I am concerned that when Labour were in power the claim numbers were Double so what have they leaked,

30/01/2013 8:42:15 p.m.

John wrote:

Doesn't 500+ breaches in "just 7 months" constitute an average of more than TWO a day? Saying its more than one a day is like saying John Key has lost our country more than one job - misleading.

30/01/2013 7:55:28 p.m.

alison wrote:

Shame on you Judith Collins. Just what have you been doing in ACC that these figures are so high? I guess you do have all the makings of the next National leader after all. Disgusted.