Consent at capture
Get clear, specific consent before collecting a face.
Region · Australia
Face recognition in Australia.
Under the Privacy Act, biometric information and templates are sensitive information — consent is generally required, and the OAIC takes facial recognition seriously.
Privacy Act 1988 · APPsKey laws
What applies in Australia.
APP 3
Sensitive information
Biometric information used for automated verification or identification, and biometric templates, are sensitive information that generally requires consent to collect.
OAIC
Regulator guidance
The OAIC has issued guidance on facial recognition and taken action against retailers using it without adequate notice or consent.
2024
Privacy reforms
The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 adds a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy and automated-decision transparency duties from December 2026.
AUSTRAC
AML/CTF
Reporting entities can use biometric verification within their customer identification procedures.
Your checklist
What you need to do.
Privacy impact assessment
Assess necessity, proportionality and risks before deploying.
Collection notice
Explain what's collected, why, and who receives it (APP 5).
Secure & destroy
Protect templates and destroy them when no longer needed (APP 11).
How SIMSIM helps
Privacy-first by design.
Templates, not photos
Less sensitive data held, smaller breach impact.
Deletion by API
Honour withdrawal and retention schedules in code.
Processor terms
A DPA with the transfer terms your market needs.
FAQ
Questions from teams in Australia.
Is face verification legal in Australia?
Yes, with consent and proportionate use. It's common in banking and telco onboarding.
Does SIMSIM keep photos?
No — templates only, and you can delete them by API.
Do automated-decision rules affect me?
If a face check substantially drives a decision about someone, the 2024 reforms add transparency duties from December 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 2026-09-30. Confirm requirements with qualified counsel.
Other regions
Operating in more than one market?
Building for Australia?
Start free, or talk to us about DPAs, processing locations and volume pricing.