Vodafone looks at how to give customers their metadata

Vodafone has indicated it is looking at the feasibility of giving customers the ability to access the kind of metadata that telcos will be forced to keep under the government's data retention regime.

Telstra announced this morning that from April its customers will be able to request a range of so-called metadata .

"We believe that if the police can ask for information relating to you, you should be able to as well," Telstra's chief risk officer, Kate Hughes, wrote on the telco's blog.

Telstra's announcement came in the wake of the government saying it will amend its data retention bill to incorporate the recommendations of a report by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

One of those recommendations was amending the bill to ensure individuals will be able to access the information that will be stored once data retention is implemented.

"As part of our response to recommendations on metadata requirements from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, we are currently examining options to make customers' information available to them while ensuring the highest level of security," a Vodafone spokesperson said.

"Our customers' privacy is one of our biggest responsibilities and we take the security of their information very seriously."

Telstra has said that customers will be able to access a range of metadata, with simple requests costing $25 and more complex requests to retrieve customer records being charged by the hour.

Optus has also been approached for comment.