A new report published by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has outlined a raft of opportunities for government agencies to improve their transparency and reporting of the use of automated decision making (ADM), a process that was at the heart of the recent robodebt scandal.
“Information about decision making and the exercise of agencies’ functions is important information for the Australian community. It improves integrity, accountability and trust,” information commissioner Elizabeth Tydd said in a 21 January statement.
“The Information Publication Scheme (IPS) requires this type of information to be available to the public. The intended benefit of this report is to inject clarity and certainty for agencies and the community regarding the operation of the Australian access to information scheme in the context of digital government.”
The new report, Automated decision-making and public reporting under the Freedom of Information Act, comes in the wake of a desktop review to assess how government agencies disclose their use of ADM as required by the Freedom of Information Act. According to the report, advancing technology has altered how agencies operate, necessitating clearer guidance on how these agencies can fulfil their obligations.
The OIAC’s report found that all agencies are permitted to use ADM. However, while all agencies publish some IPS-related information on their websites, only 17 per cent disclose the use of the process.
The report also outlines best practices in how those obligations can be met and the positive impact that can be achieved by improving transparency and accountability.
“The OAIC will begin consultation to update the Information Commissioner Guidelines as a priority in 2026,” Tydd said.
“Proactively publishing clear information about automated decision making is essential to building trust and ensuring accountability. Through this report, we can encourage agencies to deliver greater community awareness and satisfaction about how government decisions are made.
“The Trust in Australian Public Service 2025 Annual Report shows us that this is an important area for the Australian community and one that the OAIC, as an independent integrity agency, can influence to deliver benefits for both the community and government agencies.”
David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.