Government backs down from data retention – for now
The federal government has backed down from data retention proposals following a parliamentary report examining telecommunications interception in Australia.
The federal government has backed down from data retention proposals following a parliamentary report examining telecommunications interception in Australia.
A parliamentary inquiry has recommended that any data retention laws should include provisions to protect privacy and provide oversight.
Greens senator Scott Ludlam believes the US National Security Agency (NSA) has handed information it has collected from its PRISM system to the Australian government.
Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has defended the public’s right to privacy, but warned that privacy was not “absolute” following revelations about a US surveillance program called PRISM.
Shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has said the public needs clarity on the scope of programs such as PRISM – an initiative by the US National Security Agency that allegedly sources data from a number of major tech firms including Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
The Greens plan to introduce a bill to ensure law enforcement agencies only access citizens’ private data under a warrant.
Scott Ludlam is the voice of the Australian Greens on ICT issues and has earned a reputation for not holding back when it comes to protecting civil liberties in the digital age.
The Senate has beat back a Pirate Party petition against a proposed data retention law under consideration by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
The creator of the World Wide Web warned not to hand over power of his invention to the government.
A US security expert has applauded the Australian federal government’s approach to improving cyber security but suggested that businesses may need a financial carrot to bring their systems in line.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man who invented the world wide web, has issued a warning that Australia’s proposed data retention laws are a “really, really bad idea”.
The Attorney-General’s Department has told a parliamentary inquiry it has not yet assessed the potential costs of implementing proposals around data retention, despite several estimates from industry it could cost hundreds of millions.
David Irvine, director-general at ASIO, has said it is insulting to think ASIO staff would abuse powers given to it around data retention.
A Senate inquiry into online privacy protections has called on the Federal Government to justify its data retention proposal, include an “extensive” cost-benefit analysis and wide stakeholder consultation.
Members of the Federal Attorney-General’s Department revealed on Friday that the data retention regime currently under examination with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) is largely a result of fleeting data records kept by service providers for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications.