University of Melbourne breached students’ privacy by using wifi network to monitor pro-Palestine protest

Victoria’s deputy information commissioner finds university did not give adequate notice or justification for how location data would be used

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The University of Melbourne (UoM) breached Victoria’s Privacy and Data Protection Act when it used its wifi network to surveil students and staff holding a pro-Palestine protest last May, which could have resulted in a “significant breach of trust”, the state’s deputy information commissioner has found.

The investigation, released on Wednesday, was prompted by media reports alleging UoM digitally tracked people at the sit-in to uncover potential misconduct.