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Privacy
We follow the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988. These rules guide how we collect, use and disclose your personal information. We also follow the:
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources Privacy Policy
- APP Guidelines from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
Your privacy when using the business.gov.au website
We collect feedback and information about how you use business.gov.au to make the website better. This includes things like how you interact with the website, how you rate your experience and whether you'd recommend it to others.
We also collect technical data, like where you click, what pages you visit and general location details, to help us understand how people use the website. Some tools may temporarily store personal information to help you complete tasks, but we only use it for the reason you gave it to us.
We keep your information safe and don't try to identify you unless the law requires it, and we never share your personal information without your permission.
What we collect when you visit our website
Cookies are files created by the websites you visit that are saved onto your device. They help us remember information about your visit, which can make it easier to visit the website again and give you a better experience when you come back.
We use cookies to collect information about how you use business.gov.au, such as the pages you visit. We cannot find out your name, email address or anything on your computer by using cookies.
Learn how we use cookies and how to manage your preferences.
business.gov.au will only record your email address and personal information if you supply it to us through our website, either by sending a message or completing a form.
This information will be used only for the purpose you provide it for. We won’t:
- add it to a mailing list unless you ask us to
- share it unless you give permission or we’re required by law.
When you use our Employment contract tool, we’ll delete your information 3 hours after your session ends, unless you save your contract.
If you save it, we keep your email address and contract details for 21 days so you have time to return and finish your contract. After 21 days, your information is permanently deleted to protect your privacy.
When you visit our website, our servers may record:
- where you click, scroll or hover
- your IP address and device name
- your location details (city, region and country)
- the date and time of your visit
- pages you view and documents you download
- the site you visited before ours
- your browser type and search terms used.
We use this information to understand how people use our website and improve our services.
We don't identify individual users or track their browsing unless required by law. We may keep statistics and log files for security and to protect the integrity of our website.
We use Hotjar, a tool that helps us understand how people interact with our website. It collects data like clicks, scrolling and navigation to create reports such as heatmaps or session recordings. These reports show patterns that help us improve our website. Hotjar does not track your IP address.
Read Hotjar's privacy policy to learn more.
We also use Hotjar to collect feedback from visitors through surveys.
Hotjar surveys only collect data if you choose to take part in a survey. This may include personal information you provide in your responses, such as comments and feedback.
Hotjar surveys do not track your activity across the website and outside of surveys, and do not collect sensitive personal information unless you choose to share it.
By completing a Hotjar survey on business.gov.au, you agree to Hotjar processing your responses as outlined in the Hotjar Privacy Policy.
We use Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to understand how people come to our website and use it. These tools collect anonymous data like:
- your country
- what you did on the website
- your IP address.
Google may store this data outside Australia and share it if required by law.
By using our website, you agree to Google processing your data. You can opt out of Google Analytics by disabling cookies, JavaScript, or using Google’s opt-out service.
Check Google's Privacy Policy for more information.
Your privacy when using the business.gov.au contact centre
When you contact us, we may ask for your name, email, phone number, postcode, business name, ABN or grant application number.
We use these details:
- to help with your enquiry
- keep a record of your contact
- improve our services through research and feedback.
For example, we may contact you in the future to tell you about business support that was related to your enquiry or seek your opinion or feedback on our service.
How we collect your information
We only collect your personal information when you contact us by:
- phone (13 28 46)
- live chat
- our email us form.
Who we share your information with
We may share your personal information with authorised staff in our department or other government agencies if it helps us to respond to your enquiry. Access is limited to the people who need it to provide information or the service you've requested.
We don't share your information outside government unless the Privacy Act 1988 allows it or if required by law.
Sometimes we work with approved service providers, like consultants who help us with research or advice. If they are contracted to support our work, we may share your information with them under our department's privacy policy. These providers must follow strict privacy rules, and we include protections in their contracts to keep your information safe and confidential.
Marketing and communications
We may contact you directly with information or updates that could be useful to you, based on what you’ve shared with us. If we do contact you with updates on your enquiry, you can opt out at any time.
We won't use your information for marketing.
Recordings and transcripts
We record all phone calls to and from our contact centre and keep live chat transcripts unless you ask not to. We use this information to improve our service and handle feedback. You can ask us for a transcript of your interaction with us for your records.
Accessing or correcting your information
You can ask to see or correct your personal information held by our contact centre at any time.
What happens if you don’t provide your information
If you have a general enquiry, you can still use our contact centre service without telling us who you are. But if you don’t share your personal details, we may not be able to fully answer your enquiry, send you follow-up information or let you know the outcome.
We'll let you know if you need to provide your details to use a service or get a response.
Subscribing to the business.gov.au newsletter
When you subscribe to the business.gov.au newsletter, we collect personal information you provide, including your name and email address. This information allows us to:
- send you emails
- manage your subscription
- track how our email performs.
We only use your personal information for this purpose and won't share them without your permission, unless authorised or required by law.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
How we manage your subscription data
We use Swift Digital, an Australian email platform to send and manage emails. When you subscribe, the company collects your personal information.
Your data stays in Australia and is protected under the Spam Act 2003 and APPs. Swift Digital encrypts your data and doesn't share it with third parties.
Only authorised government staff and Swift Digital can access your information. We don't send your data overseas or use it for any other purposes without your consent.
Read more about how Swift Digital manages data on the Swift Digital website.
Other ways to stay updated
If you prefer not to subscribe, you can still get updates through our news page or by following us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
Reporting security or privacy issues
We take the security and privacy of your information seriously.
If you're a security researcher and find a possible issue, please report it to us thought our department's website.
If you believe your personal information has been mishandled or you have a privacy concern, you can make a complaint. We handle all privacy complaints in line with the Privacy Act 1988 and the APPs.
To report a privacy issue or make a complaint, contact us. We'll investigate your complaint confidentially and respond to you within a reasonable timeframe.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
business.gov.au social media
When you use business.gov.au's social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn, X or Instagram), you're using external sites with their own privacy rules. We encourage you to review their privacy policies. business.gov.au does not endorse, and is not accountable for, any views expressed by third parties using those sites.
We record posts and comments made on our social media channels to:
We don't try to further identify social media subscribers unless requested and authorised by law.
Sharing our content through social media
If you share or like our content, social media platforms may link your visit to your personal account. Please check their privacy settings and policies for more information.