Latest developments in Australia are relevant in the context of the recent focus on surveillance in NZ.
The entire Australian web can be monitored
Australian spies will soon have the power to monitor the entire Australian internet with just one warrant, and journalists and whistleblowers will face up to 10 years’ jail for disclosing classified information.
The government’s first tranche of tougher anti-terrorism bills, which will beef up the powers of the domestic spy agency ASIO, passed the Senate by 44 votes to 12 … with bipartisan support from Labor. …
Anyone – including journalists, whistleblowers and bloggers – who “recklessly” discloses “information … [that] relates to a special intelligence operation” faces up to 10 years’ jail. Any operation can be declared “special” by an authorised Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) officer. …
Many, including lawyers and academics, have said they fear the agency will abuse this power. … They said this would effectively allow the entire internet to be monitored, as it is a “network of networks” and the bill does not specifically define what a computer network is.
ASIO will also be able to copy, delete, or modify the data held on any of the computers it has a warrant to monitor. The bill also allows ASIO to disrupt target computers, and use innocent third-party computers not targeted in order to access a target computer. …
What are the odds that the Nats will pass similar laws here during their current term?
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