EY staff allegedly access Anthony Albanese's banking information

Two employees of the accounting firm Ernst and Young (EY) have been charged with privacy offenses for allegedly accessing the personal banking information of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese while working at the Commonwealth Bank.

The Australian Federal Police announced in May that the Sydney-based pair, aged 21 and 25, were charged after the bank identified their unauthorized access to restricted data concerning a federal politician. The younger employee faces an additional charge for using a communications device to distribute personal information in a manner deemed menacing or harassing.

EY has been approached for comment, while Mr. Albanese's office declined to comment on the alleged breach. Treasurer Jim Chalmers expressed significant concern over the privacy breaches, stating that such developments are "incredibly concerning, not just in relation to the PM's details, but any Australian's details."

This incident marks the latest allegation of wrongdoing involving one of the "Big 4" professional services firms. EY's situation follows recent scandals involving KPMG, which faced a freeze on federal contracts due to whistleblower treatment, and the 2022 PwC scandal involving the misuse of confidential government information for tax avoidance purposes. Both charged EY employees were granted bail and are scheduled to appear in court.

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I think on the face of it, any developments of that kind are incredibly concerning, not just in relation to the PM's details, but any Australian's details.