Back Lawyerly.Au

Optus failed to protect data in White Pages breach, privacy watchdog says

Lawyerly.Au • June 11, 2026

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has found telco Optus failed to protect the data of customers whose personal information was listed in the White Pages after they sought an unlisted number.

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Optus Privacy Breach Affects 51,000 Customers Optus has been found to have breached the privacy of 51,000 customers by mistakenly publishing their unlisted phone numbers in the White Pages directory. This breach, which occurred between 2015 and 2019, was a result of Optus failing to communicate customer preferences regarding number listings to Telstra. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) conducted a lengthy investigation, concluding that Optus held responsibility for the breach despite arguments to the contrary. The OAIC's determination allows for a representative complaint by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, who will seek compensation for affected individuals. Customers impacted include those who ported their numbers to Optus during the specified timeframe. The breach highlights deficiencies in Optus's processes and technology over several years. The OAIC's findings will be applied to determine reasonable compensation for affected class members. 2 sources 55

Optus failed to protect data in White Pages breach, privacy watchdog says

The full story

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (1)

Companies (1)