Attorney-General’s Department contacted Australian Cyber Security Centre when notified of court privacy breach
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-27/viq-solutions-privacy-breach-contract-extension/106722674
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 15:08:00
Source Domain: www.abc.net.au
Litigants in at least 146 court matters were potentially involved in a data breach that is now the subject of a formal complaint with the privacy commissioner in Canada, Senate estimates has been told.
The revelation comes just as the Federal Court quietly extended the contract with the embattled transcription service responsible for the breaches by $5.3 million despite VIQ Solutions being under administration and the contract expiring on June 30.
Administrators McGrathNicol were called in on March 16 to urgently assess the company’s viability four weeks after the ABC revealed sensitive court files were being accessed offshore in what was described as a risk to national security.
Court data breach a ‘national security risk’, senator warns
Yesterday, CEO of the Federal Circuit and Family Court David Pringle told the estimates hearing that VIQ Solutions had provided varying figures about how many cases were impacted by the security breach.
“The number was at one point around 170 files … it’s now stated that it’s 136 [family court] files that are affected,” he said.
However, Mr Pringle said it was not possible to verify that figure because VIQ had not provided the courts with any detailed information or reports into the matter.
“We asked for that report. We’ve probably asked for it more than five times now,” he said.
Mr Pringle said as yet, none of the family court litigants affected had been told their information may have been compromised as “it can cause all sorts of distress”.
VIQ Solutions was responsible for transcription services for the family and federal courts, the South Australian Employment Tribunal, as well as the courts and tribunals in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.
It is unclear how many cases in each…
