We’re in the midst of a worsening democracy deficit, and you need look no further to see this on full display than within the shambolic process around the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill. This Bill will introduce unprecedented new powers for government and law enforcement, and Coalition politicians are treating the public, and our concerns about it, with utter contempt. The Liberal/National strain of ’tough on crime’ has mutated during the never-ending war on terror, the most recent result being yet another trampling of democratic accountability.
The Australian Government has finally released its draft bill on encryption, which would see law enforcement granted unprecedented new powers, including the ability to crack open encrypted communication.
The government says its planned anti-encryption mandate will empower law enforcement, but it will enable far more crime than it will prevent, and regular citizens will bear the cost.
By now, we’re assuming that you’ve heard all about the latest digital rights scandal that’s rocking the world – the Facebook Cambridge Analytica story. You’d be hard pressed not to hear about it, as the ramifications rock social, political and ethic circles everywhere and bring to life the terrifying power of the social media giant’s data trove. We thought you’d appreciate hearing our take on the whole matter, along with a tonne of helpful links to relevant info. So here it is.
Well now, that was a long year. Here’s a quick reminder of all the happenings in the digital rights space that the team at Digital Rights Watch has been working on over the past year.
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