PRESS RELEASE: Savira launches free privacy and consent platform for Australian small businesses
Australian-built Savira launches with a free Starter plan and free privacy training, giving smaller businesses a practical way to better manage privacy and consent as scrutiny over the handling of personal information increases.
Savira, an Australian privacy compliance platform that makes it simple for organisations to meet their obligations under the Australian Privacy Principles, has launched savira.com, a privacy and consent management platform built specifically for small and medium businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
The platform is designed to close the gap between expensive enterprise privacy tools and basic cookie widgets, giving smaller businesses a practical way to manage consent and privacy across their business.
For businesses collecting personal information every day, whether at a property inspection, patient appointment, venue entrance or test drive, privacy extends well beyond a website cookie banner.
Savira is launching with a free Starter plan and free privacy training, giving businesses a practical place to start without needing a large budget, development team or in-house privacy specialist.
Privacy is moving up the agenda
The launch comes as Australian businesses face greater scrutiny over how they collect and handle personal information.
In January 2026, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) commenced its first privacy compliance sweep, reviewing the privacy policies of approximately 60 entities across six sectors: rental and property, chemists and pharmacists, licensed venues, car rental companies, car dealerships, and pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers.
The review is focused on compliance with Australian Privacy Principle 1.4, which sets out the information an organisation’s privacy policy must contain.
The OAIC has deliberately focused on businesses that collect personal information in person, pointing to everyday examples such as real estate agents asking for phone numbers at open homes and car rental companies collecting customer information through rental forms.
For some industries, privacy obligations apply regardless of business size. Health service providers that hold health information are covered by the Privacy Act even if they would otherwise qualify for the small business exemption. This includes allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, as well as medical practices, dentists, pharmacists and other health service providers. Personal information collected while providing a health service can also be considered health information and treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act, bringing additional requirements for how it is handled.
Obligations have also widened this year. From 1 July 2026, real estate professionals, lawyers, conveyancers, accountants, trust and company service providers, and dealers in precious metals and stones became reporting entities under Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime. Once a business is a reporting entity, the Privacy Act applies to the personal information it handles in connection with those obligations, regardless of turnover. The OAIC estimates this brings more than 100,000 small businesses within the Privacy Act for the first time.
Australia’s privacy framework is continuing to evolve. Following the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, further requirements take effect from 10 December 2026, including new transparency obligations for certain automated decisions that use personal information and could significantly affect an individual’s rights or interests.
More change is being consulted on now. On 31 August 2026 the Australian Government released an exposure draft of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026, with submissions closing on 18 September 2026. The draft is not law and may still change, but it signals the direction of travel. It proposes a new definition of consent that must be voluntary, informed, current, specific and unambiguous, which would mean many organisations need to refresh the consents they currently rely on. It also proposes shorter data breach notification timeframes and would treat precise location tracking data as sensitive information.
For businesses, it reinforces that privacy isn’t a one-off compliance exercise. Privacy requirements are changing, and staying on top of them is becoming an ongoing responsibility. For smaller businesses, that creates a practical challenge: understanding what applies to them today, keeping up as requirements change, and having a manageable way to put those obligations into practice.
“We’re collecting people’s details every single day, at open homes, inspections and throughout the customer journey. With privacy under greater scrutiny, we needed something practical we could actually use, not a $10,000 enterprise system. A free way to start getting this right is exactly what agencies like ours have been crying out for.” Evelyn Daoud, Principal, C & E Property Co, Matraville
Free to start, built for Australian businesses
Savira’s free Starter plan is aimed at micro businesses and startups and includes:
Consent management for up to 1,000 contact records
Snapshot reporting through the platform
Two ready-to-use compliance templates
Access to the Savira self-help centre
Alongside the Starter plan, Savira is releasing free privacy training modules designed to help business owners and their teams better understand the Australian Privacy Principles and their responsibilities when handling personal information.
Paid Growth and Pro plans add higher contact volumes, AI-assisted features, advanced reporting and integrations for businesses with more complex requirements.
“Savira transformed our consent management. It’s given us greater customer trust, simpler processes and real peace of mind. With the focus on privacy right now, having a practical way to manage consent has become essential for us.” Vicki Iszatt, Director, OMDIGI Group
“Privacy tools have been built and priced for big companies for too long, but smaller businesses collect personal information every day too. A physio clinic, real estate agency or local venue shouldn’t need an enterprise privacy team to get the basics right.
“That’s the gap we’re trying to close with Savira. We’re starting free and including training because we want businesses to understand what they’re responsible for, then give them a simple way to put that into practice.” Tori Starkey, Managing Director, Savira
Full plan details are available at savira.com/plans.
About Savira
Savira is an Australian-built privacy and consent management platform for small and medium businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
Designed to make privacy and consent management simpler for growing businesses, Savira provides practical tools to manage consent, scan cookies and maintain privacy records without enterprise pricing or complex technical setup.
Plans start free at savira.com.
Notes to editors and sources
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, “Privacy compliance sweep to put privacy policies under the spotlight”, 9 December 2025. Source for the January 2026 privacy compliance sweep, its approximately 60 entities, six sectors, APP 1.4 focus and examples of face-to-face collection of personal information. https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/privacy-compliance-sweep-to-put-privacy-policies-under-the-spotlight
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, “Small business” and “What is a health service provider?” Sources for the application of the Privacy Act to health service providers regardless of turnover and the inclusion of allied health professionals such as physiotherapists. OAIC small business privacy guidance OAIC health service provider guidance
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, “Guide to Health Privacy”, updated May 2025. Source for the treatment of personal information collected while providing a health service as health information and sensitive information. OAIC Guide to Health Privacy
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, “Australian Privacy Principles Guidelines, Chapter 1: APP 1 Open and transparent management of personal information”. Source for the new APP 1 obligations for automated decisions (APPs 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9), introduced by the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 and commencing on 10 December 2026. The OAIC has consulted on detailed guidance for this obligation and has indicated it will publish that guidance ahead of commencement. https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles/australian-privacy-principles-guidelines/chapter-1-app-1-open-and-transparent-management-of-personal-information
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, “Privacy guidance for reporting entities under the AML/CTF Act”, updated April 2026. Source for the application of the Privacy Act to AML/CTF reporting entities regardless of turnover, under section 6E(1A) of the Privacy Act, and for tranche 2 entities becoming reporting entities from 1 July 2026. https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/263046/OAIC-Guide-to-privacy-for-reporting-entities-under-the-AML-CTF-Act-updated-April-2026.pdf
Attorney-General’s Department, “Privacy Reform: Consultation on Exposure Draft legislation”, opened 31 August 2026. Source for the release of the exposure draft Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026, the 18 September 2026 submission deadline, and the proposed changes to the definition of consent, data breach notification timeframes and the treatment of precise location tracking data as sensitive information. https://consultations.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/privacy-reform/
