7 tips to safeguard your digital privacy

1. Be aware your data has value

It’s important to realise that your online data is highly valuable to the companies that collect and monetise it – either by selling it to third parties or using the information to personalise advertising content. Companies, therefore, have a financial incentive to collect your information – so be aware of this.

2. Take care with what you share

A lot of information innocently shared online, such as through social media posts, can be used as the basis for scams and fraud. Be careful about posting details such as full names, addresses or employment. And never share important personal information, such as IRD numbers, without first verifying the identity of the other party.

3. Be alert to scams and fraud

In 2024, Kiwis lost more than $2.3 billion to online scams and fraud, according to the State of Scams in New Zealand 2025 report by Netsafe and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance. Many of the successful scams arose online, through emails or social media messages, so look out for these fraudulent messages and learn to identify which ones are valid.

4. Prevention is better than a cure

You can actively take steps to prevent breaches to your digital privacy. A key way is to set up multi-factor authentication processes, which require more than one identifying ‘factor’ to gain access to an account. For example, an email address and password will not be sufficient to gain access to an online account; a second step, such as a code sent to a mobile phone, is necessary.

5. Keep track and delete

It is impossible to always keep all your information private; sometimes you need to provide institutions with your personal information. When this happens, keep track of the information provided, and to whom. You can ask institutions to delete your personal information after a period of time, and you can also delete things like apps that contain this information.

6. Know your rights

There are significant legal limitations on what companies can do with your digital data. The Privacy Act 2020 has 13 ‘privacy principles’ that outline how agencies (including those operating online) can collect, store, use and share your information. Become familiar with your rights and companies’ responsibilities when it comes to your digital data.

7. Learn how to make a complaint

Despite the legal obligations and restrictions in place, some companies will breach your digital privacy. If this occurs, all Kiwis have the right to make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. This is an Independent Crown Entity, and it is free to make complaints. It also provides helpful resources, including a response date calculator for access and correction requests.