BC Privacy Commissioner's report leads to questions in Australia

The recent report by the BC Privacy Commissioner on privacy and outsourcing to US-controlled companies has led to questions in Australia:

Australian IT - US law raises privacy worries :

"THE South Australian Government has promised to review the access of US outsourcer Electronic Data Systems to information on citizens in the wake of a Canadian government report finding a 'reasonable possibility' of unathorised disclosure by US outsourcers to US government agencies.

A spokesman for Administrative Services Minister Michael Wright, who oversees the EDS whole-of-government outsourcing contract, said the the Government was 'taking the issue seriously'.... "

As alluded to above, much Australian government data processing is done by EDS. A related story, from Yahoo News, includes a statement from EDS that there has been no disclosure of Austrialian personal information to US authorities under the USA PATRIOT Act:

EDS denies breaching Privacy Act

"... The company's managing director Chris Mitchell says EDS is a corporate citizen and it complies with the Privacy Act of Australia.

"The US Government would have to talk to the Australian Government about superseding the laws of the land, that's all I can say," he said.

Mr Mitchell says the data for the Federal Government's accounts are dealt with in Australia and some other clients' data is processed offshore, but only with their agreement...."