There are calls for an independent inquiry into the failure of the Census last night to restore the faith of Australians in the process.
The census – delivered by technology company IBM for the Australian Bureau of Statistics – was shut down last night after what the Government described as an international “denial of service” attack.
Non-profit group, Digital Rights Watch, says the Turnbull Government’s handling of last night’s online Census demonstrates both a disrespect for personal privacy and a lack of digital literacy.
The group’s Amy Gray says the ABS didn’t have the resources or the expertise to run the process effectively.
“It’s been quite badly managed from a project management point of view, it hasn’t had a sector foresight into how Australians interact with digital websites or digital services, and it hasn’t actually communicated well with Australian people about how to use the service, what their rights are, and also addressing their concerns,” she says.