Election 2010: Call for debate on Spooks' data plan

James Riley
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:55

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Government must commit to a "full and frank" debate on the law enforcement merits of its universal data retention plans or risk an Australia Card-like backlash from a mistrustful public, the Internet Industry Association has warned.

IIA executive director Peter Coroneos says the association is not convinced the proposed data retention plans is proportionate the law enforcement objectives of the plan.

As part of its election manifesto, the IIA has called on Government to clearly articulate what the policy goals of data retention are what safeguards are being put in place "to prevent overreach, disproportionate outcomes and other unintended consequences."

The Attorney-General's department has been working on an ultra-secretive scheme that would force ISPs to collect and retain all user data, including what sites they have visited, which could then be accessed by law enforcement agencies.

The policy hit headlines in recent days after the Attorney-General's declined the bulk of a Freedom of Information request by Fairfax Media, and blacked out up to 90 per cent of documents that it did release.

"What we're trying to say is that while we recognise that their may be a legitimate law enforcement need here, we are not convinced that a data retention approach in collecting data on the entire user base is a proportional response," Coroneos said.

"At the very least we need to have a full and frank public debate about what the benefits of this are going to be, and also what the problems might be."

In its 'Principles for a Digital Economy' election manifesto, the IIA says public fears of "a surveillance society where capture and storage of transactional data become routine puts the onus squarely on government" to show how the proposed measures are proportionate to the law enforcement objectives.

"Government must commit to a public debate about the merits and impacts of data retention prior to any new regulation being tabled," the IIA manifesto recommended.