Finance companies are forcing customers to sign waivers allowing them to seek private information from dozens of government departments and private companies.

The scale of the US drone programme is such that more pilots are now recruited to fly unmanned aircraft than conventional fighter planes, writes Toby Manhire.

To be a truly free and democratic society there must be respect for the autonomy of individuals, writes Tim McBride. and limits on the activities of both state and private agencies which may intrude on that autonomy.

A teenager whose private photos have been used without permission to attract bisexual women to a website feels violated and scared.

Banks have united to keep mum on how often they give customer details to police without a warrant.

Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff has described the Ministry of Social Development as a "megastore of personal details" which needs to lift its game to ensure confidence in the public sector is not harmed.

Editorial: Newspapers around the world have been following Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of Britain's press with close interest.

The Ministry of Social Development is set to roll out new public computers from May next year to replace the kiosks closed after a security hole was revealed in October.

Editorial: Banks need to be more careful about handing over personal information to the police. They must make it their business to assess whether a request constitutes a valid reason for sidelining the Privacy Act.

Banks get daily requests from the police for personal banking information, and one says it is influenced by law enforcement interest when it assesses customers.

Nothing quite singles out a member of the baby-boomer generation from the Xs and Ys as our differing attitudes to privacy, writes Brian Rudman.

Humane initiatives in privately-run British prisons, such as inmates spending a day with their kids, have caught the eye of Corrections Minister Anne Tolley.

Computer terminals used for 13 years by job seekers at Winz offices had the same security flaw as the self-service kiosks at the centre of the major privacy breach.

Paula Bennett says she is embarrassed by the "atrocious'' performance of Winz staff who twice failed to react to warnings over public computer kiosks.

Another Work and Income related privacy breach has come to light, following three already revealed this week.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says there is not a systemic problem with privacy at Work and Income NZ.

Auckland District Health Board staff have blundered by sending a journalist an envelope filled with personal information and are now apologising to the people involved.

There will undoubtedly be some gardening leave on offer soon at the Ministry of Social Development, writes political commentator Bryce Edwards.