We’ve all been there, a quiet aside after a meeting, a message sent with good intentions, a casual “Oh, did you hear about…?” It doesn’t feel like gossip in the moment. Sometimes we tell ourselves we’re helping others be supportive, preparing them to show up for someone who’s going through a hard time. But there is a line, and when it’s crossed, what appears to be innocent sharing can become a privacy breach with very real human consequences.

Every day across New Zealand, organisations engage vendors to support their operations. In many cases, these vendors require access to personal information to deliver their services.

But a critical question is not asked often enough “Is this vendor just acting on our instructions, or are they using personal information for their own purposes as well?”

Piloting new technology is exciting. It’s a chance to explore innovation, test ideas quickly, and see how emerging tools might transform the way we work. Whether it’s an AI solution, a new analytics platform, or a digital service prototype, pilots feel like safe spaces to experiment. But there’s a growing issue that’s easy to overlook in the rush to innovate: privacy.

It’s a scenario that makes many organisations pause: the police call, email or turn up asking for personal information. There’s a strong instinct to help, however, there’s the requirement to protect the privacy of the people whose information you hold.

It’s common practice for employers to take photos of staff during the course of their employment. These photos may be used for training materials, internal communications, team events, or external promotion such as recruitment campaigns and marketing content.

Employee browsing or the unauthorised access and misuse of personal information is one of the most common privacy breaches according to the Privacy Commissioner. Whether it’s curiosity, misplaced helpfulness, or something more malicious, unauthorised access to personal information continues to crop up in headlines.