The laws of Australia will trump the laws of mathematics: Turnbull

guest · Feb 25, 2019

FastMail loses customers, faces calls to move over anti-encryption laws
Australia no longer 'respects right to privacy'
February 25, 2019
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/fast...alls-to-move-over-anti-encryption-laws-519783

Hosted email provider FastMail says it has lost customers and faces “regular” requests to shift its operations outside Australia following the passage of anti-encryption laws.

The Victorian company, which offers ad-free email services to users in 150 countries, told a senate committee that the now-passed laws were starting to bite.
“The way in which [the laws] were introduced, debated, and ultimately passed ... creates a perception that Australia has changed - that we are no longer a country which respects the right to privacy,” FastMail CEO Bron Gondwana said. [pdf]

FastMail also used its submission to the senate committee to raise concerns that secretive “technical capabilities” added to products and services to aid law enforcement were unlikely to stay secret for long.
Click to expand...

mirimir · Feb 26, 2019

This was predictable.

So Amazon has an AWS node there. Maybe they'll shut it down. That'd get some attention

guest · Mar 28, 2019

Tech companies not 'comfortable' storing data in Australia, Microsoft warns
President says customers are asking company to build data centres elsewhere as a result of the government’s encryption bill
March 27, 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/technol...ble-storing-data-in-australia-microsoft-warns

On Wednesday the company’s president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, said customers were asking it to build data centres elsewhere as a result of the changes, and the industry needed greater protection against the creation of “systemic weaknesses” in their products.

In Canberra, Smith told the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia the law had not yet changed Microsoft’s operations in Australia, but the company was worried about the law’s “potential consequences”.
“But when I travel to other countries I hear companies and governments say ‘we are no longer comfortable putting our data in Australia’.
Click to expand...

mirimir · Mar 28, 2019

Yeah, that was great. But Brad there was just a little too obsequious, no?

guest · Mar 28, 2019

Encryption backdoors raise the likelihood of attack
March 28, 2019
https://betanews.com/2019/03/28/encryption-backdoors-increase-attack-likelihood/

Countries with government-mandated encryption backdoors are more susceptible to nation-state attacks according to 73 percent of security professionals.
A survey from machine identity protection company Venafi also finds 69 percent believe countries with encryption backdoors suffer economic disadvantages in the global marketplace as a result.

"This is a tense moment for industry professionals because they know backdoors make our critical infrastructure more vulnerable," says Kevin Bocek, vice president of security strategy and threat intelligence at Venafi.
The study also finds 79 percent believe governments should not be able to force technology companies to grant access to encrypted user data. And 25 percent believe technology companies are doing enough to protect consumers' personal information.

You can read more on the Venafi blog.
Click to expand...

guest · May 29, 2019

Spies with that? Police can snoop on McDonald's and Westfield wifi customers
May 28, 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...oop-on-mcdonalds-and-westfield-wifi-customers

Exclusive: Documents reveal rushed encryption legislation allows police to compel wifi providers to turn over information about users
People accessing the internet at McDonald’s and Westfield in Australia could be targeted for surveillance by police under new encryption legislation, according to the home affairs department.
Click to expand...

A briefing by the department, obtained under freedom of information, reveals that police can use new powers to compel a broad range of companies including social media giants, device manufacturers, telcos, retailers and providers of free wifi to provide information on users.
The Telecommunications Access and Assistance Act, which passed parliament in December, prompted warnings of legislative overreach, particularly due to the large number of offences with a prison sentence of three years, which bring suspects within reach of the new powers.

The Communications Alliance chief executive, John Stanton, said it was “no surprise” to see the “enormously broad range of players” that are classified as communications providers.

“It’s been a concern from day one,” he said. “The only thing consumers will know is if there is a weakness introduced into the system, their provider won’t be able to tell them about it. It’s not something that would readily engender trust.”
Stanton said “one of the more concerning examples is the installation of software on to a network that’s been developed by agencies”.
Click to expand...

guest · May 31, 2019

Long read
What is the Assistance & Access Bill & what does it mean for your security?
The "anti-encryption laws" are a significant piece of legislation that could have worldwide security ramifications.
Find out what they are and who they will affect in this comprehensive guide
May 29, 2019
https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/assistance-access-bill/

The Australian Assistance and Access Bill, often referred to as the anti-encryption law, was passed in December of 2018. It’s a complicated set of regulations that has made international headlines for its potential ramifications. It’s also received significant criticism from tech companies, privacy advocates, and the general public.

Another problem with these assertions is that the bill doesn’t actually say that it aims to break encryption. In fact, it has caveats against introducing security weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
What Is the Assistance & Access Bill? [...] / What powers does the bill grant? [...]
Click to expand...

guest · Jul 7, 2019

Vault says anti-encryption laws harming its tech exports
Laws motivating data exodus
July 5, 2019
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/vault-says-anti-encryption-laws-harming-its-tech-exports-527752

Australian secure cloud provider Vault Cloud says the public perception of the government’s anti-encryption law has “materially and detrimentally” impacted the export of its technology.

Vault's submission is significant in terms of the pressure it can bring to bear at both a policy and public sector perception level, with two former public service agency chiefs on its board.
One of those is Dennis Richardson, the former head both of the Department of Defence and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, a respected veteran with a deep understanding of the motivations of security agencies and their masters.

Vault used the submission to raise concerns about the impact of the law on Australia’s domestic market, noting that was "seeing an exodus of data from Australia" as multinationals 'blacklisted' Australia.
“The AA Act addresses many law enforcement concerns that impact the security and safety of Australians, however the AA Act's perception detracts from the attractiveness of hosting data in Australia,” he said.
Click to expand...

guest · Jul 8, 2019

Amazon blasts Australia's "technically flawed" anti-encryption laws
Protections don't go far enough
July 8, 2019
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/amaz...echnically-flawed-anti-encryption-laws-527855

Amazon has criticised Australia’s anti-encryption laws for forcing technology companies to weaken their security, suggesting that protections against systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities are “technically flawed”.

In its submission [pdf] to the latest review of the Assistance and Access Act (AA Act), Amazon broadsides so-called protections afforded in the law to prohibit the creation of systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities.
“The Act has provided new powers for law enforcement and security agencies that could be used to order technology providers to create or install new ways to access secure systems and data,” Amazon said.
“Each of these ways of access would constitute a security vulnerability.”

Amazon also used its submission to suggested that the hastily introduced law had altered the balance between the rights of law enforcement and consumers to such an extent that it risked reducing consumer trust in technology.
“Any law however that puts the data of Australians at greater risk and reduces trust in technology is not the answer.”
Click to expand...

Krusty · Jul 9, 2019

Encryption laws developed after little consultation with Australian tech companies, FOI documents reveal

Documents released by the Home Affairs department suggest it did not consult with Australian technology companies about its encryption laws before releasing a public draft.

Government officials spoke multiple times with US technology giants Apple, Facebook and Microsoft about the proposed legislation in 2017 and 2018, according to heavily redacted records obtained under freedom of information laws.

Telecommunication providers such as Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Vocus are also named.

But no brands from Australia's IT sector appear among the dozens of pages released so far, further fuelling industry complaints that the impact of the laws on local industry was not adequately considered as the bill was developed.
Click to expand...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science...ralian-tech-sector-not-consulted-foi/11283864

BriggsAndStratton · Jul 9, 2019

He's a man who should be wearing concrete shoes.

Minimalist · Jul 17, 2019

Anti-encryption laws 'imperil' cross-border data access deal with US

Australia's controversial encryption busting laws could put a spanner in the works of the government obtaining a bilateral agreement with the United States for cross-border data access, a coalition of American tech giants and civil liberties organisations warn.
Click to expand...

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/anti...-cross-border-data-access-deal-with-us-528318

guest · Jul 17, 2019

Latest technology could miss Australia due to encryption laws: Telstra
The telco also wants immunity provisions if its suppliers' equipment runs slower due to cops fiddling with it
July 17, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/latest-technology-could-miss-australia-due-to-encryption-laws-telstra/

Telstra has warned that device vendors could skip Australia due to the nation's encryption laws, leaving local companies uncompetitive.

"This has potential to adversely affect the competitiveness of Australian telecommunications providers in international markets and their ability to deploy the latest technology developments (e.g. new smart phones, artificial intelligence and IoT devices), [...]"
The Australian incumbent telco also called for immunities to be extended to any downstream third party providers. Telstra said secrecy provisions in the laws mean one of its suppliers could have had a notice issued and equipment modified, but the changes could make Telstra's network or systems run slower.

"Rather, the damage being done to Australian industry is due to technology buyers and investors around the world having listened to the strong body of international and Australian expert opinion on the risks that the Act creates for the security of Australian-manufactured technology equipment and systems."
Click to expand...

guest · Jul 22, 2019

Firms 'blacklisting' Australia over encryption laws, government contractor says
July 22, 2019
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...vernment-contractor-says-20190722-p529ec.html

An IT firm holding data for some of the government's most secretive departments has warned the nation's encryption laws are leading to some multinational companies withdrawing from Australia while keeping data in Russia and China.

In its submission to a parliamentary committee review of the 2018 laws, Vault Cloud said companies had chosen not to set up operations in Australia after the laws were passed.

"The impact for Australians is that their personal and sensitive data becomes less and less sovereign," Mr Taylor-Price told The Herald and The Age. "That isn't the intention of the law, but it is the unintended consequence."
In its own submission the Department of Home Affairs denied Australia has become an unattractive destination for digital businesses because of the security laws.
Click to expand...

Minimalist · Sep 20, 2019

Honesty needed to break 'impasse' over cops versus encrypted data

The Encryption Working Group has proposed a sensible way to advance the debate on encryption policy, including a reality-based decision-making framework. Australia's approach has been nothing like this.
Click to expand...

https://www.zdnet.com/article/honesty-needed-to-break-impasse-over-cops-versus-encrypted-data/

Krusty · Oct 30, 2019

Police want faster data from the US, but Australia's encryption laws could scuttle the deal

Australian police could quickly access data held by companies like Google and Facebook under a planned deal with the United States.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton recently trumpeted the beginning of negotiations about the potential data swap, but interviews undertaken in Washington DC reveal a more sceptical view.

The current process of extracting US-based electronic information from social media platforms and email providers involves a laborious legal process that has long been a frustration for local law enforcement investigations.

America's CLOUD Act aims to address this, allowing the US to team up with friendly countries and create a streamlined two-way process for police.

These deals permit partner countries to ask for data from US companies under their own domestic legal system — so long as it doesn't concern US citizens or residents.

But there is some push back from Capitol Hill, as well as concerns these agreements could undermine human rights protections.

One US senate staffer described the CLOUD Act as "pushed down our throats" — the result of concerted lobbying by the United Kingdom.

The UK just completed its own deal with the US in October, and the Australian Government hopes to follow swiftly in its footsteps. So long as the US Congress does not get in the way.
Click to expand...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science...could-scuttle-cloud-act-us-data-swap/11652618

Encryption laws become a hurdle
Australia's own encryption laws could potentially scuttle the deal — a risk flagged by critics including the Law Council of Australia.
Click to expand...

guest · Dec 2, 2019

Labor says it will fix encryption laws it voted for last year
December 3, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/labor-says-it-will-fix-encryption-laws-it-voted-for-last-year/

This time last year, the Australian Labor Party waved through the government's encryption Bills, formally known as the Assistance and Access Bill, and threw out the line that it to keep the nation safe.
"Let's just make Australians safer over Christmas," then Labor leader Bill Shorten said at the time.

Fast forward to December 2019, and after losing a May election, the opposition has decided it wants to introduce legislation to "fix" the encryption laws.
Click to expand...

guest · Feb 20, 2020

Anti-encryption measures 'too broad'
February 21, 2020
https://www.9news.com.au/national/a...oo-broad/953b68eb-21bd-4185-bf57-4c067b3c1659

Australia's encryption-busting laws are too broad and may be driving tech businesses overseas, the Law Council of Australia has warned.

Council president Pauline Wright told a national security monitor hearing in Canberra on Friday the laws were heavy handed.
When the government introduced the laws, it was said they were needed to help authorities stop terrorists, paedophiles and organised crime.

"The measures introduced... go far beyond these threats and have broad application," Ms Wright said.
Businesses may move offshore to protect their privacy, she said.
Click to expand...

longshots · Feb 21, 2020

When the government introduced the laws, it was said they were needed to help authorities stop terrorists, paedophiles and organised crime
Click to expand...

This is the standard phrase used by our government when they want to introduce any legislation that will destroy our right to privacy, or broaden the powers of our TLA's.

Government considering bringing foreign cyber spy powers onshore to hunt Australian paedophiles
The government is renewing calls to increase powers for Australia's spy agencies in order for them to hunt down paedophile rings
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/powers-for-asd-spy-dark-web-australians/11980728

Krusty · Mar 5, 2020

Digital Rights Watch accuses successive governments of ‘bipartisan contempt’ for the rights of its citizens

Successive governments have been accused of “bipartisan contempt” for its citizens and dragging Australia into a “police state”.

An organisation that aims to protect the digital rights of Australians has released a timeline showing the “bipartisan contempt” successive governments have had for the privacy of its citizens, accusing them of dragging the country into a “police state”.

Digital Rights Watch (DRW) is a registered charity operating for the “general community in Australia”, according to its filings with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

The organisation has published the timeline on its website, beginning with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre as a catalyst for the growth of government surveillance on its own citizens.

Through the remainder of the Howard years, the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd ALP, and the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Coalition, the organisation highlights more than 20 events and legislations that have had a negative impact on the digital rights of Australians.
Click to expand...

https://www.news.com.au/technology/...s/news-story/4d4f7465a4816bb24a8c215aa92c67d3

guest · Jul 27, 2020

Atlassian says encryption-busting law has damaged Australia's tech reputation
July 27, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/atlas...g-law-has-damaged-australias-tech-reputation/

Atlassian believes Australia's encryption-busting legislation continues to have a negative impact on the country's technology sector, both from the perspective of partnering with an Australian company and attracting tech talent down under.

"The Act's passage has significantly degraded the global reputation of the Australian tech sector, as local companies and multinationals alike question whether actions compel them to the Act will degrade industry's ability to secure customer data and place their employees at individual peril," Atlassian head of IP, policy, and government affairs Patrick Zhang said.

Zhang was appearing before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PCJIS) and its review of the amendments made by the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 (TOLA Act).
The TOLA Act was rammed through Parliament back in late 2018.
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

The laws of Australia will trump the laws of mathematics: Turnbull

guest Guest

mirimir Registered Member

guest Guest

mirimir Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

Krusty Registered Member

BriggsAndStratton Registered Member

Minimalist Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

Minimalist Registered Member

Krusty Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

longshots Registered Member

Krusty Registered Member

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

The laws of Australia will trump the laws of mathematics: Turnbull

guest Guest

mirimir Registered Member

guest Guest

mirimir Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

Krusty Registered Member

BriggsAndStratton Registered Member

Minimalist Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

Minimalist Registered Member

Krusty Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

longshots Registered Member

Krusty Registered Member

guest Guest

Useful Searches