BuildAIPolicy

Free checker · Australia

Does Australia's automated decision rule apply to you?

From 10 December 2026, organisations covered by the Privacy Act that use computer programs, including AI, to make or help make significant decisions about people must explain this in their privacy policy. Answer a few questions to see whether it's likely to apply to you.

This checker gives a general indication from your answers. It isn't legal advice and can't account for every situation. The rule is in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Australian Privacy Principles 1.7 to 1.9.

  1. 1. What kind of organisation are you?

    State and territory government agencies have their own privacy laws, which this checker doesn't cover.

  2. 2. Does any computer program make decisions about people, or help make them?

    This includes AI tools, automated rules, scoring or ranking tools, and even spreadsheets, when they make a decision or do something closely tied to it, such as scoring job applicants or flagging a customer for review. A person checking the result afterwards doesn't necessarily take it outside the rule.

  3. 3. Do those programs use personal information about the people affected?

    Information about a person who is identified or could reasonably be identified, such as their name, contact details, application details or account history.

  4. 4. Could those decisions significantly affect people's rights or interests?

    For example decisions about jobs, pay or performance, credit, insurance, housing, health, benefits, access to important services or support, or someone's rights under a contract. Good and bad effects both count, and so does deciding not to act.

Sources

Last checked against these sources on 25 October 2026.