No justification for society-wide mandatory data retention scheme
EFA is alarmed that Cabinet’s National Security Committee has signed off on the fast-track implementation of a mandatory data retention scheme, apparently citing the ‘rising threat of home grown terrorism’. The Daily Telegraph reports [paywalled] that the government is believed to be seeking “an interim data retention measure…to be introduced as early as September to […]
New intelligence powers: what’s included
By Thomas Karpiniec, Chair of EFA’s Policy & Research Standing Committee. Last week, Attorney-General George Brandis introduced an omnibus bill to the Senate that seeks to update the legislation governing the operations of Australia’s intelligence services. Three weeks ago, we reviewed the proposals that were expected to be included in this tranche of legislation. The […]
Police using mobile phone tower dumps for fishing expeditions
Fairfax Media is today reporting that Australian police are receiving metadata dumps from mobile phone towers. These data dumps provide information about “the identity, activity and location of any phone that connects to targeted cell towers over a set span of time, generally an hour or two. A typical dump covers multiple towers, and mobile […]
Next tranche of new surveillance powers [Updated]
[Update: in a doorstop interview on 2nd July, Attorney-General Brandis said the following: ATTORNEY-GENERAL: Legislation that I will be introducing into the Senate in the week after next will give effect to the recommendations, the 21 recommendations in Chapter-Four of the Joint Parliamentary Committee Report on Intelligence and Security. That was, as I say, a […]
Speak Out 3 Video: EFF’s Danny O’Brien
As part of TheDayWeFightBack EFA hosted our third Speak Out featuring Danny O’Brien, International Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Danny is a veteran of over two decades fighting for digital rights and provides fascinating insights into previous and current campaigns against mass surveillance and other threats to digital rights around the world. EFA Speak […]