Introduction to Schedule 4 (Emergency location information) of the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code
Schedule 4 of the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code describes itself as follows:
Schedule 4 enables the disclosure of emergency location information (“ELI”) by network operators to emergency service providers, and the collection and use of ELI by emergency service providers, for the purpose of establishing the location of an individual who has made an emergency call, in order to facilitate a response to that call; or to prevent or lessen a serious threat to an individual’s life or health.
The Schedule regulates location information which is automatically generated when making an emergency call. It also regulates the use of technology that enables the collection of location information about cellular devices in the absence of an emergency call from the individual concerned, where this is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to individual life or health.
The Schedule limits the collection, retention, use and disclosure of ELI to ensure that the sharing and use of this information is at all times connected with responding to an emergency.
Some key defined terms
Schedule 4 uses a number of defined terms. We mention some of them here as you might want to refer to them when doing your assessment:
- Device Location Information (DLI) means location information that is: (a) derived from a DLI source; and (b) not generated by an emergency call
- DLI source means: (a) a cellular device; or (b) in relation to a cellular device, a network operator
- Emergency Caller Location Information (ECLI) means location information that is: (a) derived from an ECLI source; and (b) generated by an emergency call
- ECLI source means: (a) a telecommunication device enabled automatically to send ECLI to the Emergency Location Information System (ELIS) when an emergency call is made; or (b) in relation to a telecommunication device, a network operator
- Emergency Location Information (ELI) means: (a) DLI; (b) ECLI
- Emergency Location Information System (ELIS) means the system which receives and processes ELI and makes ELI available to emergency service providers for the permitted primary purpose and permitted secondary purpose
- location information means personal information indicating the approximate geographical position of a device, which may include the latitude, longitude, altitude and direction of travel of that device
- telecommunication device (a) means any terminal device capable of being used for transmitting or receiving a telecommunication over a network; and (b) includes a cellular device.
Other key terms are defined for you as you undertake the assessment below.
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