In response, Katerina Kapobassis, the University of Melbourne’s chief operating officer, said the university “acknowledges that it could have provided clearer active notice to students and staff members in relation to the use of WiFi location data, and a number of remedial actions are progressing”.

How did the investigation start?

After media reports in July 2024 revealed the university had tracked protesters using CCTV and Wi-Fi data, the Privacy and Data Protection deputy commissioner launched the investigation.

According to the OVIC’s report, the university identified staff involvement in the protest through an analysis of Wi-Fi location data, CCTV footage, and a review of 10 staff members’ email accounts. Source: AAP / James Ross

What did the investigation find?

Considering the number of people impacted and the level of the impact, the deputy commissioner determined the breaches were “serious”.

The investigation, however, did not find any breaches in relation to staff email accounts.

What did the university say?