Originally published June 13 2005
Government access to digital communications called into question
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In Australia, civil liberties groups are calling for more privacy protection for email, SMS and other stored electronic communications. The Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) is asking the government to review 25-year-old communications laws that allow governments to access stored communications without alerting the owner. The EFA also questions whether securities regulators should be able to force telecoms to provide access to their communications. Because the review might take longer than previously thought, Parliament could be out before they get to the Amendment.
An online civil liberties group has called on the Federal Government to boost privacy protection for email, SMS and other stored electronic communications.
Electronic Frontiers Australia made the call in its submission to a review of part of 25-year-old telecommunications interception laws.
In its submission, the EFA said it was unclear whether agencies such as the securities regulator, ASIC, were allowed to serve their own notices forcing telecoms to provide access to stored communications.
The amendment has a sunset clause and expires on December 15 this year.
The Government had committed to reviewing the amendment but an independent reviewer was appointed only in March, Ms Graham said.
"I doubt whether the reviewer will be able to complete the job by the deadline of June 30," she said.
As a result of the delay, Ms Graham warned, there might not be time to get new legislation through Parliament by December 15.
The EFA has proposed a new class of warrant, to be issued by a judge.
"Additionally, there needs to be reporting by the Attorney-General of the number of such warrants issued and how useful such searches have been, to ensure accountability," Ms Graham said.
If this was not agreed to, she said there should be a requirement for agencies to inform people within a set time frame that their stored communications had been accessed.
"This will reduce the number of fishing expeditions that can be undertaken by authorities," Ms Graham said.
She said the review's terms of reference offered hope that new legislation would offer better privacy protection.
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