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Australian Courts Data Breach 2026:
What You Need to Know

VIQ Solutions, a Canadian transcription vendor contracted to handle Australian federal court recordings, subcontracted that work to an Indian firm in violation of Commonwealth contracts. Thousands of sensitive court files, including domestic violence, child abuse and national security matters, were accessed by unvetted overseas staff. The courts themselves were not breached, but the supplier-chain failure has prompted Senate scrutiny.

Story broke:16 February 2026
Records affected:Thousands of court files (count not yet published)
Risk level:High

Your personal risk from this breach

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What Happened

How the Australian Courts Offshoring Breach Unfolded

August 2025 onwards

VIQ Solutions, the Canadian transcription provider contracted to handle Australian federal court recordings, begins subcontracting work to e24 Technologies (an Indian tech firm) in breach of its Commonwealth contracts. Internal VIQ staff raise concerns about unvetted overseas staff accessing sensitive court data, but management dismisses the concerns.

Late 2025 to February 2026

Concerns escalate. Internal documents indicate thousands of court files were accessed by e24 workers using Indian email addresses. Files include domestic violence proceedings, child abuse cases, and national security matters.

16 February 2026

ABC News breaks the story, reporting that VIQ Solutions had violated its Commonwealth contracts by sending highly sensitive Australian court data offshore. The Federal Circuit and Family Court and the Federal Court are named as affected. Courts in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia are within scope.

Affected jurisdictions include matters before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia, and state-level courts whose recordings were processed through VIQ.

Late February 2026

Greens senator David Shoebridgedescribes foreign access to state and federal court cases as a “national security risk”. The Attorney-General's Department reviews the VIQ contract; affected courts undertake their own audits.

Sources: ACS Information Age, Cyber News Centre (22 Feb 2026)

What Was Exposed

Court Material Accessed in the Breach

The exposed material consists of court recordings, transcripts, and case content processed through VIQ Solutions during the affected period. Reporting indicates that workers at e24 Technologies accessed files using Indian email addresses, with no Commonwealth security clearance.

Data TypeRisk LevelWho Was Affected
Names of parties (complainants, defendants, witnesses)HighAll matters in affected courts during the period
Court proceeding records (transcripts, statements)HighPer affected matters
Domestic violence order contentHighDV-related FCFCOA matters
Child abuse case contentHighChild-protection FCFCOA matters
Witness statements (national security)HighFederal Court national-security matters
Personal addresses and contact detailsHighWhere included in court records
Identifying information about covert agentsHighPer ABC reporting (Federal Court matters)

Risk levels based on the OAIC: What is personal information? and OAIC Australian Privacy Principles. Court records combine identity-linked data (names, addresses, contact details), sensitive personal information (legal proceedings, family law matters, child protection), and in some cases information protected under the Privacy Act 1988 sensitive information provisions (s 6(1)). For domestic violence, child abuse, and national security matters the risk to affected individuals is significantly elevated above standard PII exposure.

Scope and Containment

The breach affected transcription and recording infrastructure operated by VIQ Solutions. Australian court systems themselves were not breached. The Attorney-General's Department and individual courts have not confirmed that any specific matter has been redistributed publicly, but the offshoring itself constitutes a significant breach of contractual and security obligations.

Company Response

Government and Court Response

“Access to state and federal court cases by foreign entities is a national security risk.”
Greens senator David Shoebridge, February 2026 (paraphrased from public Senate commentary)

Actions Taken

  • VIQ Solutions contract under review by the Attorney-General's Department
  • Federal Circuit and Family Court and Federal Court of Australia undertaking internal audits of materials accessed
  • Affected state-level court systems (NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA) reviewing their own VIQ contracts
  • ABC News investigation prompted Senate scrutiny
  • Calls for stronger Commonwealth-contract enforcement on subcontracting and offshoring
Attorney-General's DepartmentOAIC NDB scheme

What Now?

Steps You Can Take After the Australian Courts Breach

If you were a party, witness, or complainant in a matter heard before an affected court during the period, your record may have been accessed. The combination of names addresses case content and protective order details warrants heightened caution. Below are practical steps grouped by the situations most commonly affected.

If You Were Party to a Court Matter

Review your matter and seek guidance through proper legal channels.

Review your court matter and contact your lawyer

~15 min
If your matter was heard before the Federal Circuit and Family Court, the Federal Court, or an affected state court during the relevant period, contact your lawyer or the relevant court registry to request a status update. Your legal representative can advise whether your specific case is within scope.

Consider whether protective or suppression orders may have been compromised

Where protective orders or suppression orders form part of your matter, discuss with your lawyer whether any further action is needed to preserve confidentiality. The orders themselves remain legally in force; the question is whether their content may have been accessed by unauthorised parties.

If You Have a Domestic Violence Order or Family Court Matter

Safety first. Confirm protective orders remain in force and watch for unsolicited contact.

Contact a domestic violence support service

~10 min
If you have safety concerns connected to a DV order or family law matter that may have been transcribed via VIQ, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for confidential support and risk assessment. State and territory DV services can also assist with safety planning.
1800RESPECT

Confirm protective orders remain in force

Protective orders made by the court remain legally in force regardless of the vendor-chain breach. If you have any doubt about the status of an order applying to you, ask your lawyer or contact the issuing court registry directly.

Watch for unsolicited contact referencing your case

Be cautious of any communication that references specific case content. Treat unsolicited “official” contact with high suspicion and verify the sender through independent channels (search for the court's contact details yourself rather than using numbers or links provided in the message).

Heightened Vigilance for Identity-Linked Scams

Court records contain identity-linked detail that can be used to impersonate you or your case.

Treat unsolicited "official" contact with high suspicion

Where exposed data includes names addresses and case content, attackers can construct convincing impersonations. Do not engage with anyone claiming to have information about your case unless you can independently verify their identity through a court registry, your lawyer, or an official .gov.au email address.

Do not engage with anyone claiming to hold your case material

If you are contacted by a party claiming to hold court material relating to you, do not pay any fee, do not click links, and do not share further personal information. Report the contact to the relevant court registry and to the Australian Federal Police where appropriate.

Reporting and Support

Australian resources for identity protection, court guidance, and victim support.

Contact IDCare for tailored guidance

IDCare (1800 595 160) is Australia's national identity and cyber support service. They provide free, confidential case-managed support for people affected by data breaches and identity-related incidents.

Use official government and victim-support channels

The Attorney-General's Department is the lead Commonwealth agency on this breach. For state-level matters, contact your state's victim-support service. Avoid third parties offering paid “breach response” services that you did not initiate yourself.

Stay across future data breaches that may affect you

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Are You Still at Risk?

The Hidden Danger: Compound Breach Exposure

This breach did not happen in isolation. If your identity-linked data also appeared in other major Australian breaches, the combination can build a more complete profile for fraud and impersonation.

How breach data compounds

The Australian Courts breach exposed legal record content tied to identifiable individuals. If your data also appeared in Optus, Medibank, or Western Sydney University, the combined profile can include identity documents, health information, university SSO credentials, and court material. Compound exposure significantly increases the risk of identity fraud and targeted impersonation.

  • Optus (2022)9.8M records - identity documents
  • Medibank (2022)9.7M records - health information
  • Western Sydney University (2025)10K records - SSO + identity documents
  • Australian Courts (2026)Thousands of files - legal records + DV/child-abuse content

If your email appears in two or more of these breaches, your risk level is significantly elevated. In The Event Of can overlay your breach data to show exactly where your exposure compounds, and help you prioritise what to address first.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Australian Courts Breach FAQ

Sources

  1. ACS Information Age: "Indian firm accessed Australian court files"
  2. Cyber News Centre: Australian court data exposed in major third-party breach (22 Feb 2026)
  3. Webber Insurance: List of Data Breaches and Cyber Attacks in Australia 2018-2026
  4. Attorney-General's Department (Australia)
  5. Federal Court of Australia
  6. Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
  7. 1800RESPECT (domestic and family violence support)
  8. OAIC: Notifiable Data Breaches scheme
  9. OAIC: What is personal information? (Privacy Act 1988 categories)
  10. OAIC: Australian Privacy Principles

Other Major Australian Data Breaches

Data from multiple breaches can be combined to increase identity fraud risk. Review these guides to understand your full exposure.

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View all breach guides →

Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. The information is based on publicly available sources at the time of writing and may not reflect the most current developments. In The Event Of Pty Ltd (ABN 38 687 352 647) is not affiliated with VIQ Solutions, e24 Technologies, the Australian Government, or any of the affected courts. This guide is based on publicly reported information and is not legal advice. If your court matter may have been affected, contact your lawyer or the court registry directly.