Citizens Not Suspects

Citizens Not Suspects

This is a campaign for privacy and strong encryption and against mandatory data retention and warrantless mass surveillance in Australia.

We are committed to ensuring:

  • encryption and privacy technologies are not undermined by Australian law
  • greater safeguards are introduced for the mandatory data retention scheme, including expanding the warrant requirement to the entire population 

Header image copyright alecperkins (CC-BY)

 

This is a campaign for privacy and strong encryption and against mandatory data retention and warrantless mass surveillance in Australia.

We are committed to ensuring:

  • encryption and privacy technologies are not undermined by Australian law
  • greater safeguards are introduced for the mandatory data retention scheme, including expanding the warrant requirement to the entire population 

Header image copyright alecperkins (CC-BY)

 

Amend the data retention law

Australia's mandatory data retention regime is one of the most intrusive and lengthy in the world. Recent revelations that the Australian Federal Police have illegally accessed the data of journalists, possibly more than once, demonstrates the need for additional protections for Australians in relation to this scheme.

 

We are therefore calling on the government to immediately introduce a universal warrant requirement for access to retained telecommunications data ('metadata').

 

 

At ...

Australia's mandatory data retention regime is one of the most intrusive and lengthy in the world. Recent revelations that the Australian Federal Police have illegally accessed the data of journalists, possibly more than once, demonstrates the need for additional protections for Australians in relation to this scheme.

 

We are therefore calling on the government to immediately introduce a universal warrant requirement for access to retained telecommunications data ('metadata').

 

 

At present, warrants are only required for access to journalists' data.

 

Requiring a warrant for all access to retained telecommunications data ('metadata') will provide much-needed independent oversight that ensure data is only used for investigating the most serious crimes.

 

We are also calling on the government to:

  1. ensure there is no increase in the list of agencies able to access retained data;
  2. reduce the retention period for data to no more than 6 months; and,
  3. ensure that the recent decision not to allow access to retained data for civil cases is maintained.
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Dear Attorney-General George Brandis,

I believe the indiscriminate nature of Australia's mandatory data retention scheme presents a serious threat to the privacy of all Australians.

I am particularly concerned about recent revelations that the Australian Federal Police have illegally accessed such data and believe that additional safeguards are required.

I therefore call on you to immediately expand the requirement for a warrant to be issued to authorise access to retained telecommunications data ('metadata') to cover all requests for data, not just for data relating to journalists.

In addition, I call on you to:

1. ensure there is no increase in the list of agencies able to access retained data;

2. reduce the retention period for data to no more than 6 months; and,

3. ensure that the recent decision not to allow access to retained data for civil cases is maintained.