Privacy isn’t a roadblock. It’s protection. It’s prevention. It’s care.

As a parent, it was heartbreaking to read how sensitive personal information was accessed and shared in ways that directly led to harm, including physical violence. And this is just a “snapshot” of what was reported.

The reality is this: you can’t bolt privacy on after the fact.

You need to build a culture that treats privacy as a layer of protection, not a layer of red tape. Without that mindset, even the best policies and procedures will fail.

What stood out to me most was the quote that some social workers “hated” privacy and couldn’t see how it protected children. But privacy is protection. When you uplift privacy, you uplift the people you serve. You reduce harm. You build trust.

I don’t doubt for a second that the people working at OT care deeply. This is not a failing of individual social workers. It’s a failing of the systems and policies that don’t reflect the true value of privacy or the very real harm caused when it’s breached. When privacy is treated as an admin task rather than a safeguard, the system breaks down and vulnerable people pay the price.

Creating a privacy-aware culture is hard. But it’s possible and it’s essential.

As lawyers, privacy professionals, and leaders, we need to show that privacy isn’t a compliance burden. It’s a tool to enable better, safer outcomes.

Oranga Tamariki privacy breaches: Abused woman's file shared with father | RNZ News