Media Releases

Clearview AI Data Breach – Another reason for moratorium on the use of facial recognition technologies

Posted on February 28, 2020 | in Media releases

The Clearview AI data breach reveals that Australian law enforcement agencies are using the company’s facial recognition tools for identification purposes without any oversight or privacy protections, digital rights experts have warned today.

Breach of trust shows metadata retention scheme must be repealed

Posted on February 7, 2020 | in Media releases

Digital security advocates have expressed outrage at revelations that Australian law enforcement agencies have been potentially abusing mandatory metadata retention laws and receiving data explicitly excluded from the legislation.

Online disinformation risks public confusion about the cause of Australia's bushfires

Posted on January 10, 2020 | in Media releases

Digital rights experts have expressed deep concern at emerging evidence that suggests there is an intentional disinformation campaign creating confusion around the cause of Australia’s tragic bushfires.

Open Letter to Law Enforcement in the U.S., UK, and Australia: Weak Encryption Puts Billions of Internet Users at Risk

Posted on December 13, 2019 | in Media releases , News

Today, Digital Rights Watch joined 101 other signatories in releasing an open letter to law enforcement officials in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia expressing grave concerns with the countries’ recent statements about encryption. These officials penned a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on October 4, 2019 asking Facebook to delay the implementation of end-to-end encryption across its messaging services, something the company announced it was planning last March.

Major amendments to encryption laws are a step in the right direction

Posted on December 4, 2019 | in Media releases

A coalition of human rights organisations, telecommunication industry and technology companies have today commented on the proposed amendments to the TOLA (Assistance and Access) Act 2018, tabled today in the Senate by Senator Kristina Kenneally.

Police drones on public beaches are a gross privacy violation

Posted on November 29, 2019 | in Media releases

Privacy experts have hit out at reports that Victorian Police plan to operate camera surveillance drones on public beaches over the upcoming holiday period.