Senate committee to investigate data retention by ISPs
- 24 June, 2010 17:21
- Comments 4
A Senate Committee will launch an inquiry into the collection of online data by Government agencies and private companies, including Internet service providers (ISPs).
The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communication and the Arts will also look into online privacy on social networking sites and submit a report by 20 October, 2010.
The move comes after revelations the Federal Government planned to enact laws to force ISPs to retain data on its users and follows Google’s apology for capturing WiFi data through its Street View cars that included passwords and e-mail.
In a statement, Greens Senator, Scott Ludlam, said recent events had proven there were many challenges to online privacy.
“Most recently, the Government is investigating options to compel ISPs to collect the web browsing history of all Australians, for purposes which are not at all clear,” Ludlam said.
“It is time the Parliament took a proper look at the degree to which the privacy of Australians online is being eroded by Governments and corporations alike.”
Several ISPs recently told Computerworld Australia that online personal data will be placed at risk and they may be forced to cough up millions if the Federal Government acts on its plans to legislate data retention laws.
A handful of industry sources present at a closed-door, high-level meeting with the Federal Attorney-General (AG) allege the proposed laws will force ISPs to capture, retain and secure the search engine results of Australians at their expense, which some say could run into millions of dollars.
But one top director of an ISP who wished to remain anonymous due to confidentiality agreements said the AG had discussed the feasibility of data retention laws for more than a decade.
Optus government and corporate affairs chief, Maha Krishnapillai, and Communications Alliance chief executive officer, John Stanton, both cautioned the government to consider the proposal’s privacy and security ramifications on industry.
This week in the Senate, Senator Penny Wong, representing the Attorney-General's Department, said the data would be used to identify "parties to a communication, when and where that communication was made and the communication's duration, [but understands] it would not extend to the content of the communication”.
"My advice is the government would ensure that any proposal would be consistent with the privacy act and the government's privacy reforms," she answered in response to questions.
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Comments
Bob
Fascism!
Henna
There is absolutely no real reason to keep web page history. This is an obvious attempt by the Government to pry into the Australian public private business.
The Government could use this information to profile innocent people to their political advantage.
bill bigwater
Corporate controlled politics to ensnare the common public under a regime of evil. This as we all know will be used and abused by law enforcement and other intelligence agencies.
We as a free world should stand up to this kind of abuse against civilians. The goverment has labelled us as criminals before any kind of criminal act has been committed. This is a paranoid goverment that is taking us toward paranoid police state. i wonder who the real criminals are?
I wonder if our politians are been lead by the american government. would be surprised if they are behind it all
James V
If as Penny Wong said "the data would be used to identify "parties to a communication, when and where that communication was made and the communication's duration, [but understands] it would not extend to the content of the communication”".
The what use is it to capture illegal activity? There is no content that could be used by the police, apart from the fact that you have had contact with someone. They would then have to bust someone and go through all there records, to bad if it is my nephew who has 500 odd friends that he keeps in contact with. Could you imagine all the false leads and waste of time and resources for them.
And who is gong to pay when my dirty e-mail / pictures to my wife / girlfriend / lover finds it's way onto the internet, the Government not likely.
This nanny state mentality has to stop, people need to start taking responsibility for there own lives / actions.
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