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New Australian Government initiative could have ISP's logging browser histories and email traffic
The Australian Attorney-General's office recently confirmed to ZDNet Australia that it's trying to implement a data retention regime in the country, and that they are currently in talks with ISP's about the proposed plan. Australian ISP's aren't currently logging web histories or most other user activity unless instructed by warrant, but that could soon change.
The proposed regime would likely be modeled after a similar directive adopted by the EU back in 2006, but would likely be much more comprehensive. For instance, the EU directive calls for limited logging of user-data to be kept for a period of 6-24 months. The Australian plan, on the other hand, could call for retention of data for up to 10 years. The Australian government is also apparently pushing to have ISP's log data including users' web histories and email traffic (to, from, and when the emails were sent or received).
The Australian Internet Industry Association is calling the talks with the government "preliminary discussions" and says that the proposal is still in a very early stage, so it could all wind up as something very different and much less menacing if and when it ever becomes policy. That being said, the Australian government doesn't seem to have had issues messing about with the Internet in recent years, so it wouldn't exactly be a surprise if the proposal does go through with a reactionary tinge.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Comments
13
Subscribe to comments216Jun 11th 2010 3:48PM
W O W. That is scary and extreme. Would private browsing stop them from recording your activity? Somehow I'm thinking because its your ISP, it won't stop them.
Matthew RogersJun 12th 2010 12:56AM
Private browsing only protects you from snooping people in your home or office by discarding browser cache and web history after you're finished using it. A data retention regime would have the actual ISP log the data as it passes through them.
Android underlingJun 11th 2010 3:56PM
Holy crap I am glad I dont live there. I love the country itself, but the government is always making these types of creepy headlines.
SidnJun 11th 2010 4:24PM
Goddamit. We need to figure out some new universal way of encrypting and anonymizing everything. The users have been way ahead, historically, but now the people at the top are starting to come around and crack down pretty heavily.
I just can't wait for the day that the internet is just as shitty as TV.
BuggerJun 11th 2010 4:25PM
Suddenly VPN service provider become a very attractive business to get into.
I foresee VPN services will become one of the most profitable market in Australia in the future, where privacy is no longer a privilege of Australian Internet user.
hazardJun 11th 2010 10:01PM
That's a shit load of data. I had single instance a Peerblock log over 7GB over the last few months and the computer is turned off more than it is on. Just imagine how much data that translates to for an ISP, and then times it by ten ...
Matthew RogersJun 12th 2010 12:57AM
Sounds like a great way to spend tax money, doesn't it?
ChrisJun 11th 2010 10:16PM
I do live in Australia but if this Government doesn't get kicked out at this years election it might be time to move.
JackJun 12th 2010 5:30AM
Like Chris, I am one of the 21 million who live in Australia and what the government is doing is absolutely ridiculous.
First of all, they want to filter the internet, now they want to record everything we do. Some comments on Whirlpool and LifeHacker Australia say, "It will be interesting to see what the politicians visit"
I have no idea what the Government is doing or why they are doing it. We are becoming more like China. Will we have the Great FireWall of China and when we are inside, everything we do will be recorded.
munndayJun 12th 2010 7:33AM
Will the Government be paying for the extra data space the ISP will need to house all this extra data? Will the Government pay for the extra costs in maintaining the systems with all this extra data? Will the Government pay for the hardware upgrades ISP's will need with all this extra data?
No.
whipit82Jun 12th 2010 10:57PM
Oh, but you're wrong. "The Government" has no money except what it takes from the people. And you, the people, are going to pay for it. So it's pretty much the same as if the government "pays for it".
:(
PeterJun 12th 2010 11:36AM
Let us not forget that there are two solutions here:
1) Vote the people out,
2) Use the tools to protect ourselves and our privacy.
Always encrypt your messages. Use PGP (fee) or TrulyMail (free) to easily keep your messages away from prying eyes. There are also free proxies out there to mask your IP address. Use encrypted search (https://google.com
PAEzJun 15th 2010 1:28AM
This is f#!#ing disgusting!
How this can even be considered is beyond me?
Why dont they just tap every phone call, stick video recorders in our houses, stick location chips in us and be done with it?....no one would allow that crap, so why is this any different?