The New Privacy Era: Your Home Address is No Longer a Public Document
On 2nd February 2026, Australia took a massive step toward protecting company officeholders. Following years of advocacy from industry bodies, ASIC officially removed residential addresses from purchased company extracts.
For the three million directors in Australia, this is a welcome relief from identity theft risks and privacy concerns. However, there is a common misconception that this change means the "pressure is off" regarding address accuracy. In reality, the opposite is true.
What has actually changed?
Public Extracts: If a member of the public buys a company search today, your residential address will no longer be visible. It has been replaced by a "barrier" to protect your personal safety.
Historical Documents: Be aware that addresses may still appear on older documents lodged before these changes unless a specific suppression application (Form 379) is made.
Restricted Access: Law enforcement, government agencies (like the ATO), and certain "regulated entities" can still access your data.
The "Invisible" Risk: The Director Penalty Notice (DPN) The biggest trap for directors in 2026 is assuming that because their address is "hidden" from the public, it is less important to update.
The ATO and ASIC still hold your residential address on their internal registers. Critical legal documents—most notably Director Penalty Notices (DPNs)—are sent to the address on the ASIC register. If you move house and fail to update ASIC within 28 days, a DPN could be delivered to your old address. By the time you find out, the window to avoid personal liability for company tax debts may have already closed.
Governance in the Privacy Age At Moran Financial, we view this privacy shift as a double-edged sword. While your data is safer from the public, the stakes for administrative accuracy have never been higher.
We help directors navigate this new landscape by:
Auditing Historical Filings: Identifying documents where your address may still be exposed.
Maintaining the "Source of Truth": Ensuring your internal registry matches the "hidden" ASIC data to prevent DPN delivery failures.
Address for Service Advice: Transitioning your public-facing profile to a professional "Address for Service" where appropriate.
Your privacy has improved, but your obligations remain. Is your 'hidden' data actually accurate?
