Cybersecurity Policy Report, New Zealand Reiterates Propriety of Agency Information-Sharing to Protect Children, (Sep 21, 2026)

By Tony Foley

Citing public interest in a domestic dispute involving an estranged father’s taking of his three children and their subsequent recovery, the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) emphasized that the country’s Privacy Act did not prohibit the sharing of information by agencies to protect children from harm.

Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster said in a statement that the public inquiry highlighted the failure of government officials to share vital information, adding that privacy concerns often were cited as a reason why such sharing didn’t happen. “A child’s wellbeing and safety comes first,” Commissioner Webster said. “The law is clear for child welfare and protection agencies or individuals such as health practitioners or children’s workers; there is no legislative barrier to information sharing where there are wellbeing or safety concerns for a child.“

Speaking specifically to workers in the child welfare sector, Commissioner Webster assured them that they would not get into trouble for sharing information to protect children, unless the data was shared in bad faith. He added that the OPC had developed detailed guidance on how agencies and individuals working in the sector could share information legally while also maintaining the privacy of children.

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