TELECOMMUNICATIONS – LAW AND LEGISLATION – AUSTRALIA

Back door to access data deliberately left open

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Original article by Mark Schliebs
The Australian – Page: 4 : 1-Aug-19

The federal government’s Telecommunication Interception and Access Act is under growing scrutiny amid revelations that a wide range of agencies are bypassing it to access Australians’ metadata. The data retention laws authorise 21 government agencies to access metadata without a warrant, but many other agencies are doing so via the Telecommunications Act. The Department of Home Affairs has indicated that this loophole was intentional, and that non-authorised agencies can access metadata on grounds other than law enforcement and national security.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY

Data snooping free-for-all

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Original article by Mark Schliebs
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-Jul-19

The Telecommunication Interception and Access Act identifies just 22 agencies that are entitled to access Australians’ metadata. However, a parliamentary committee that is reviewing the data retention laws has been told that at least 87 agencies have applied to access metadata without a warrant since the legislation took effect in 2015. Telstra has told the committee that many agencies are bypassing the data retention regime by seeking access to metadata via the Telecommunications Act. This is often to investigate minor legal breaches rather than serious criminal activity or issues concerning ­national security.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT INTEGRITY, AUSTRALIAN CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Queries over telcos holding data two years

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Original article by Lisa Cox
The Age – Page: 10 : 30-Jan-15

A Senate inquiry into the new metadata retention bill on 29 January 2015 heard from Federal Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim. He argued that the authorities empowered to access the details of telephone calls and internet sessions would usually do so within six to 12 months, and it was therefore not necessary to force telcos and ISPs to store the records for two years. Vivienne Thom, the Inspector-General of Intelligence & Security, also voiced fears the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation may keep the metadata of people no longer deemed a threat

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PRIVACY COMMISSIONER, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, SKYPE TECHNOLOGIES SA

Police to get access to data records

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Original article by Matthew Knott, James Massola, David Wroe
The Age – Page: 6 : 31-Oct-14

The Australian Government introduced new data retention laws into Parliament on 30 October 2014. Access to retained data will be restricted to criminal law enforcement agencies. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the new laws could be used to prosecute those who download music and films without permission from copyright holders

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND AL-SHAM

Metadata to be defined under planned new data retention laws

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Original article by Ben Grubb
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 28-Aug-14

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis has conceded that the definition of "metadata" is currently too ambitious and vague. He has pledged that new legislation to force telcos and ISPs into storing the information for as long as two years, in order to aid anti-terrorism investigations, will now contain clear details on what types of data are covered. An internal discussion paper has already excluded unified resource locators and destination internet protocol addresses

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, SKYPE TECHNOLOGIES SA, WHATSAPP INCORPORATED, VIBER MEDIA INCORPORATED, BITTORRENT INCORPORATED