Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2009 makes temporary power to read employees, officeholders or contractors communications, permanent

First 9 of 9 paragraphs shown Temporary anti-terrorism “privacy” law extended to allow more intrusive powers in Australia
Senator Mitchell Fifield, Victoria, LIberal Party speaking to the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2009 said the Bill permitted interception and security agencies, as well as certain government departments, to access communications on their own computer network for “network protection activities”.
Makes temporary powers permanent: “However, these provisions are not permanent; rather, they were intended to operate on an interim basis while a ..solution covering both the public and private sectors was developed. These provisions ceased to have effect after 12 December 2009.
Owners, operators of computer networks may read all: The bill will enable all owners and operators of computer networks to undertake activities to operate, maintain and protect their networks”.
Big Brother: “This will enable Commonwealth agencies, security authorities and eligible state authorities to ensure that their computer networks are appropriately used by employees, officeholders or contractors of the agency or authority, and it will limit to network protection purposes the secondary use and disclosure of information obtained through network protection activities.
- Secondly, the bill will enable the undertaking of disciplinary action against an employee, officeholder or contractor of a Commonwealth agency, security authority or eligible state authority who has been given access to a network.
- Thirdly, the bill covers the reporting to the relevant authorities of illegal behaviour that attracts a minimum three-year imprisonment penalty threshold, and will require the destruction of records obtained in undertaking network protection activities when the information is no longer required for those purposes.
More intrusive than 2008 bill: The 2008 legislation, which was passed with coalition support last year, implemented some interim measures in contemplation of the presentation of this bill. The amendments are largely technical in nature but involve intrusive powers”, he said.
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