The organisation was initially formed on 31 August 1987 at the Sebel Town House, Kings Cross, Sydney for the sole purpose of coordinating public resistance against the Australia Card, first proposed as part of the 1985 Federal Budget.
The media were attracted to the launch on account of support for the movement by a number of high-profile persons including Peter Garrett, Alan Jones, Ben Lexcen, and Janine Haines.
During the remaining years of the 1980s, the Foundation's focus was to ensure that the tax file number (TFN) scheme did not become an ID Card in disguise, and to lobby both state and federal governments for the enactment of national privacy legislation.
It has run a number of campaigns, in relation to such matters as credit reporting, government proposals to create identification schemes, and privacy and the media.
The organisation has a governing board, consisting of fifteen members of whom four are officers (Chair, two Vice-Chairs, a Treasurer and a Secretary).