Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has released its first-ever Data Governance and Privacy Guiding Principles—a new framework designed to help indie media agencies manage the evolving national privacy landscape.
The principles, created in conjunction with IMAA members plus governance and privacy advisory firm, FMA Consulting, aim to provide clear, practical guidance around responsible data use, creating an understanding for agencies and their clients around how data is collected, used and protected, while also helping members to embed privacy-first practices across their media, data, analytics and technology operations.
The framework aligns with current Australian privacy principles from the federal government’s Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and global privacy practices, while also supporting agencies in preparing for the Australian Government’s ongoing Privacy Act reforms and evolving platform expectations.
The 12 Data Governance and Privacy Guiding Principles include privacy by design across all workflows, legal, fair and consent-based data use, ethical audience use and targeting standards, digital supply chain transparency, vendor accountability and due diligence, data security, and audit readiness.
The ongoing federal government Privacy Act reforms will introduce broader definitions of personal information, new expectations around fairness, tighter consent requirements, anticipated rules on targeting and profiling, and stronger consumer rights. The first tranche of reforms was released in late 2024 with the second tranche expected to include strengthened rules and expanded rights around consumer consent to personal information, and agencies need to prepare early to remain compliant and competitive.
The new principles have been created to compliment the IMAA’s AI Guiding Principles, released in 2024 to help agencies in their AI journey. The principles focused on ensuring responsible and ethical AI practices, while also outlining the IMAA’s vision for AI, particularly its focus on empowering members via collaboration, alignment and tools.
IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said, “Australian independent media agencies are founded on trust, transparency and strong client relationships, which have been critical to their success. That’s why strengthening privacy and data governance is now essential for protecting that trust, helping agencies to maintain a competitive advantage and ensuring their long-term success.”
“These principles are designed to help agencies navigate the complexities of data governance and privacy, giving them a clear framework for embedding privacy-first practices and a deeper understanding of the landscape today, and where they may want to go next. We encourage our members to use these principles to guide their operations – from their planning, buying, optimisation and reporting workflows, to improving pixel tracing and measurement governance; these principles will be vital in supporting transparent client conversations on consent and data use.” he added.
“The new principles are part of the IMAA’s commitment to providing practical tools and education for our members, along with access to trusted expert guidance. This is what sets the independent media agency sector apart in our industry.”
FMA Consulting founder and director Shannon Fitzpatrick said, “It’s great to see the IMAA prioritising this critical industry shift towards more privacy-centric and responsible data practices. FMA Consulting is proud to support this work, with a practical and commercially grounded set of data governance and privacy principles, designed to help independent agencies navigate evolving expectations with confidence, and embed responsible data use into everyday decisions.”
