Privacy Policy
The Westsider respects your right to privacy and is committed to protecting your privacy when you interact with us, our content, products or services.
This Privacy Policy discloses our privacy practices and it applies to personal information collected and held by the Westsider Newspaper.
In our collection, storage, use and dissemination of personal information, we are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and any relevant APP codes registered under the Privacy Act.
This policy does not address issues related to personal information and its use in the course of media reporting.
The Westsider Newspaper
References to 'we', 'us', 'our', or the Westsider in this Privacy Policy are references to the Westsider Newspaper and our associated staff, subcontractors, volunteers or third-party service providers that we engage from time to time in the provision of our services.
Media exemption
The Westsider Newspaper makes use of media exemption under the Privacy Act, in relation to personal information used in the course of media reporting. For further details regarding this, please refer to www.presscouncil.org.au/privacy-principles.
Consent
By using this news service, or any other Westsider product, application and/or site that references this Privacy Policy, or by otherwise providing to us directly, or through others, your personal information, you agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, the Privacy Act and other applicable privacy laws. We may modify this Privacy Policy at any time at our discretion. You can always locate the current version via our website or by contacting us.
Personal information
'Personal information' generally includes information or an opinion relating to an identified, or reasonably identifiable, individual.
We will not ask for personal information revealing your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions or membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, sexual orientation or practices, health information, or disability, unless the information is relevant to journalistic content and covered under Media Exemption law.
Note: We may collect and share data ethically collected in surveys and polls as aggregated information. We never share identifiable responses from individuals in these processes with other organisations or individuals outside our staff team.
Information we collect
'Personal information' generally includes information or an opinion relating to an identified, or reasonably identifiable, individual.
Reasons we may need to collect personal information
These may include, but are not limited to:
How we use your information
We may disclose your personal information
Data security
All reasonable steps will be taken to protect personal information against misuse, loss, unauthorised access, alteration, destruction and disclosure. All attempts will be made to destroy or de-identify personal information if it is no longer needed.
Cookies
Cookies allow sites to recognise you when you visit them again. We may use cookies to track the way you use our site, and which products and services you view, in order to improve our services to you. We may also log your IP address to analyse trends, traffic and gather demographic information.
We may also collect information which is not considered personal information relating to your activity on our websites or we may collect anonymous information from you in response to surveys. This information assists us to report statistics, administer our services, diagnose concerns and problems and improve our service to you. This information will not identify you or anyone else in any way.
Make a complaint
We welcome feedback about all privacy issues.
Please contact us for any privacy queries. If we take more than 30 days to respond to your privacy complaint, or you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The OAIC can be contacted on 1300 363 992 or at www.oaic.gov.au.
Last updated August 2024
