Every day, hundreds of thousands of health professionals across Australia start their work by logging onto computers and turning on office devices, oblivious to the constant risk of inadvertently breaching the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). The data they handle (sensitive and personal medical information) deserves a level of protection that current consumer technology does not provide.

Modern operating systems and consumer devices predominantly operate on intrusive surveillance models, continuously collecting and processing user data. For health professionals, this means navigating technology landscapes designed without the prioritisation of privacy, thus imposing an unrealistic compliance burden on those who must adhere strictly to the APPs. These principles demand that healthcare providers protect personal data against misuse, interference, and loss, posing an ever-present threat of unintentional privacy breaches.

We are calling on the Australian Government and the Attorney-General to pass statutory legislation requiring technology manufacturers and software developers to provide a Mandatory Sensitive Data & Clinical Mode on devices sold in Australia.

1. System-Level Sensitive Data Mode: A legal requirement for major OS vendors (Microsoft, Apple, Google) to include a single-toggle "Clinical/Sensitive Data Mode." Activating this toggle must immediately cut non-essential telemetry, disable background screen-capturing features, suppress ambient microphone polling, and block automatic consumer cloud syncing.
2. Shift Burden of Liability to Vendors: Amend APP 8 and APP 11 frameworks to hold tech platforms liable if their out-of-the-box consumer default settings automatically collect, record, or transmit sensitive health metrics without explicit consent.
3. Smart Device Standards for Healthcare Spaces: Require manufacturers of IoT "smart" devices sold in Australia to provide clear physical or software controls to permanently disable data harvest features.

According to a 2021 survey by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 95% of Australians are concerned about their health data privacy. Furthermore, breaches in health data are most damaging due to the sensitive nature of the information involved.

As healthcare digitizes and telehealth becomes a standard of care, patient confidentiality must not be undermined by hardware defaults. Protecting patient privacy should not require a degree in cybersecurity.

Sign this petition to demand that Big Tech build privacy by design into the devices powering Australian healthcare!