Broadband Tech > Security > Security > Australia won't back away from data retention plan

Australia’s Attorney-General Nicola Roxon has re-stated the case for a European-style data retention regime, arguing that there’s no point bringing a knife to a gun fight when it comes to protecting Australia’s interests.

In a speech delivered to the 2012 Security in Government conference in Canberra today, Roxon quickly addressed the argument that it is dangerous for governments to hold a lot of information about their citizens, saying:

“We hold more information than ever before. This information is not only Government information but it is often personal information of Australian citizens. The responsibility we have to protect that information is immense. Because the information is now stored online it is also accessible to potentially more people within an agency – increasing the risk of insider threat.”

The Australian government is therefore “turning up the heat on our own systems to ensure we’re secure from insiders who might have the ability and access to threaten our national security.” That heating process is using a new “Protective Security Policy Framework” Roxon said has been “…specifically written with an eye on the online environment” and “marks an important shift from a compliance based model to a risk management approach, providing guidance on how to identify risks, as well as the controls needed to mitigate them.”

Her speech moved on to privacy and how it is, in her view, important “to strike a balance between ensuring we have the investigative tools needed to protect the community and individual privacy.”

That balance, she argues, can be achieved even under a regime that allows data retention, because it is such a useful investigative tool.

THE debate surrounding the federal government's proposal to have internet service providers - ISPs - store the computer data of every Australian for up to two years amounts to hysteria, Attorney General Nicola Roxon claims.

They really want this to be enforced.

All your bases data are belong to us!

ASIO would also be given the power to install, delete and manipulate software on people's computers without their knowledge, according to the provisions laid out in the proposal, putting an ethical question mark over the legitimacy of evidence gathering when it comes to prosecuting suspects.

"The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's demand to access Attorney-General Nicola Roxon's proposed data retention regime reveals how dangerous this regime could be," said Simon Breheny, Director of the Rule of Law Project at the free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs.

The ACCC admitted on Friday that it wanted to use the government's proposed regime for its regulatory investigations into issues like petrol pricing.

"Data retention policies are concerning enough by themselves.

"But the ACCC has revealed that the government is using the threat of terrorism as a Trojan horse to give expanded powers to government bodies that have nothing to do with national security.

"The government says it wants to ensure that the trade-off between security and privacy is not disproportionate. Allowing regulators access to the data would be way over that line. The ACCC has no right to use evidence that has been collected for the purpose of national security investigations," said Mr Breheny.

"The practical effect of a data retention regime would be to create an Orwellian bank of private information on all Australian citizens."

"If we give security agencies more power, non-security regulators like the ACCC and the Australian Taxation Office will inevitably gain access to all Australian's private data. This is just another reason the data retention regime cannot be passed," said Mr Breheny.

Mr Breheny presented evidence to the Parliamentary Inquiry into National Security Reforms on Wednesday last week.

The Government is considering the most sweeping and radical changes to Australia's surveillance and intelligence laws since the establishment of the original powers in 1979.

We've put together an informative video to explain the changes. Watch the video above and sign the petition to Attorney-General Nicola Roxon using our tool on the right, asking her to ensure these proposed reforms do not become law.

You can see the full text of the discussion paper here

Parliamentary Committee urges privacy bill review
Approves of amendments, seeks 12-month review.

A parliamentary committee inquiring into proposed amendments to privacy legislation has left the door open on companies hoping to defend against improper use of personal information sent overseas.

The committee rubber-stamped the Government's proposed legislative amendments this week but urged it to review the new regime a year after passing the bill to determine the success or progress of some of its elements.

Importantly, the committee suggested the Government reconsider whether to include an explicit defence against failure to abide by Australian Privacy Principle 8, concerning cross-border information disclosure.

The principle requires companies disclosing personal information to a foreign company or entity to take "reasonable steps" to ensure the receiving company does not breach those principles.

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It's a model setup for oppression.

If you listen or read enough general discussion there seems to be a vast majority process in place leaning towards the governments of our nations taking control of the Internet.

said by norwegian
They sold the water, they sold the electricity, they sold the gas, they sold the milk, they sold all of the basic utilities and now they want to buy into the Internet.....

said by norwegian
Am I missing something here?

said by norwegian
This should never happen.

No....regulate.

Storing info to save police force expense is not regulating, well it is if you are a militia I guess, this is meant to be the free world, is it not?

That point currently, does not carry as much weight here as it does for US citizens.
The size and ability to affect more than a hand full of people at one time on the scale of misuse at any given time from ASIO would be far from the notion that some of these powers being allowed in the US.

It should be given valid consideration...yes.

Trust must be earned and assurances here usually go without saying.
You earn more votes here by outing the rouges than siding with the corrupt...Especially in parliament.