The University of Melbourne breached Victoria’s privacy laws when it used its wifi network to track students and staff during a pro-Palestine protest in May 2024. Victoria’s deputy information commissioner found the university violated the Privacy and Data Protection Act through secret surveillance.
The investigation was launched after media reports revealed the university digitally tracked people at a sit-in protest to uncover potential misconduct. The protest took place at the Arts West building, which students renamed “Mahmoud’s Hall” after Palestinian student Mahmoud Alnaouq who was killed in Gaza before he could attend the university.
