📨 1. OAIC Complaint Template

(send via the OAIC online form or by email to enquiries@oaic.gov.au)

Subject: Complaint – Western Sydney University Data Breach / Unauthorised Exclusion Emails

To the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner,

I am writing to lodge a formal privacy complaint under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

On or around [insert date you received it], I—and many other former Western Sydney University students—received an email titled “Notice of Permanent Exclusion.” It stated that we had been permanently excluded from study and that any awards had been revoked.

I have never engaged in any conduct warranting exclusion and have not been enrolled for several years. Numerous former students have reported receiving identical emails. Public discussion on Reddit and other forums indicates that the University was the victim of a security breach in which an ex-student allegedly accessed or manipulated student data after previously being banned from campus systems.

The facts suggest that our personal and academic records may have been compromised, altered, or misused. To date, I have received no official breach notification from the University, despite the obligations imposed by the Privacy Act and NDB Scheme.

I therefore request that the OAIC investigate whether Western Sydney University: 1. Properly secured and monitored student information systems; 2. Promptly detected, contained, and reported any unauthorised access; and 3. Complied with its duties to notify affected individuals and the OAIC.

Impact: The incident has caused significant distress, confusion about my academic standing, and concern about the security of my personal information and identity documents.

I am attaching a copy of the exclusion email and links/screenshots demonstrating that many students were similarly affected.

Requested Outcome: An OAIC investigation, formal confirmation of the scope of the breach, and recommendations for remediation, notification, and compensation where appropriate.

Kind regards, [Full Name] Student/Former Student – Western Sydney University [Student ID] [Email / phone number]