New Australian Data Retention Laws Cause Outrage Over Privacy
A new law came into effect on Tuesday that means telecommunications companies in Australia must hold onto metadata for two years, reports the BBC.
New data laws are nothing to sing about. Sydney Opera House. Image Credit: Jimmy Harris (Flickr)
The law covers data on calls and text message details, such as who called who, the length of the call, the location, the volume of data exchanged and email IP and device information.
This will make it easier for authorities to access the records.
The new law has caused heated debate among Australians, with many exclaiming that this is a serious invasion of privacy.
Privacy activist Edward Snowdon has even passed comment, tweeting a warning to Australians earlier this week.
The UK adopted similar data retention strategies last year, however in July these were struck down by the UK high court as being “unlawful.”
The British politicians who challenged the law argued that it allowed the police and security services to spy on citizens without sufficient privacy boundaries in place.
Read more here.
