Privacy at Telstra

Accessing your personal information

As a part of our commitment to transparency and your rights under the Privacy Act, you can request access to personal information we hold about you.

Personal information you can request online includes customer account information, call, SMS and data usage information, and your Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) record.

Much of the personal information we hold about you can be found in My Telstra, and on your bills or invoices. It’s faster and easier to search for information there. 

Because your personal information only relates to your use of Telstra services, information about who called you or sent you an SMS is not available. If you request incoming call and SMS information, we won’t be able to provide it. 

What is said in a voice call (audio) or what is entered in an SMS or email (text/media) is also not available. 

How to request access

Only the Account Owner (the legal lessee), or an individual authorised on behalf of the Account Owner (such as a Third Party Authority contact), can make a request to access personal information related to all services on an account.

Full Authority contacts and Limited Authority contacts may only request access to basic customer account information, contract information, and billing and payment information. If other information is required, the request will need to be made by the Account Owner. Find out more about giving another person access to your account.

We’ll acknowledge your request within five business days and may take further steps to verify your identity and validate the request. We’ll aim to provide you with the requested information within 30 days. If you request access to records that aren’t yours, or you are no longer an active Account Owner or Authority on an account, we’ll contact you for further information.  

If we aren’t able to provide access to personal information, we’ll contact you in writing to explain why.

What can I access?

There are three types of access available.

Customer account information held by Telstra

You can request access to your call and data usage up to the last 12 months in My Telstra, or request access to the following customer account information online:

  • Basic customer information on the account (such as your name, date of birth, and services held with us)
  • Contract information
  • Billing and payment information (such as bills and tax invoices)
  • Service fault information
  • Customer interaction and account notes.
     

You may also request correction or deletion of your personal information. Service fault information, or customer interaction and account notes can’t be requested by Full Authority contacts or Limited Authority contacts.

Call, SMS & data usage sessions

Account Owners and Third Party Authority contacts can request access to the following information:

  • Outgoing call and SMS details, including cell tower coordinates
  • Data sessions for mobile phones/mobile devices.
     

Outgoing call and SMS details within the last 12 months can be accessed in My Telstra. Please note that Telstra cannot provide any incoming call or SMS information.

IPND Records

The Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) is a centralised database that contains the record of each telephone number issued by Carriage Service Providers (CSPs) to their customers in Australia. Learn more about the IPND.

The information Telstra sends to the IPND on your behalf is used by critical users such as the Triple Zero Emergency Call Service and Emergency Alert and law enforcement and national security agencies. More information about the IPND can be found on the ACMA website. 

Account Owners and Third Party Authority contacts can request an IPND Record.

How to contact us

If you have a question regarding this process or how we handle your personal information, you can contact us by:

If you make a complaint, we will acknowledge receipt and aim to investigate and respond to you within 30 days or earlier, in accordance with our Complaints Handling policy. If we cannot resolve your complaint, you may contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman or the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.