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September 2021 Roundup

Last month we shared with you the petition to repeal the Identify and Disrupt Act, and we’re happy to say it’s now hit 125k and counting! While the likelihood of the legislation getting repealed is extremely small, we believe these signatures will help us in overturning the legislation when it’s set to sunset (in 5 years). It also sends a strong signal to the MPs that surveillance is a serious issue that Australians care about—which is something they seem to ignore across the board.

Submission: Restricted Access Systems Discussion Paper

The Online Safety Act 2021 was passed in June 2021. Contained within it is an Online Content Scheme which includes the ability for the eSafety Commissioner to issue ‘remedial notices’. Upon receiving such a notice, a service must either remove the content or ensure that it is subject to a Restricted Access System (RAS).

August 2021 Roundup

Strap in, August has been a huge month for digital rights! From the passage of the Identify and Disrupt Bill, to Apple’s announcement of its surveillance software update, to the launch of several consultations by the eSafety Commission—and we’re here to tell you all about it.

Rebalance the Internet Economy: IMAGINE

IMAGINE …a world without the written word.

Are digital platforms taking the creative arts for granted? With declining income across the board for creative industries, it seems more like social media is an empty vessel of the platform economy than a haven for artists to share their work and reach new audiences. How are writers finding their experiences online? Do they get to experience the benefit of the open and free internet or have digital platforms moved too far into extractivism?

Australia's new mass surveillance mandate

The Australian government has new laws on the books to hack your computer, your online accounts, and just about any piece of technology and networks you come into contact with. It can happen without a warrant and without you ever knowing. That’s just the start of it. Outraged? Good.

90+ digital rights organisations ask Apple to drop image surveillance plans

Digital Rights Watch joins a coalition of more than 90 U.S. and international organizations dedicated to civil rights, digital rights, and human rights, in an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, asking the company to abandon its recently announced plans to build surveillance capabilities into iPhones, iPads and other Apple products.