Australian Government Passes Contentious Encryption Law

Tags: Australia Five Eyes Law Enforcement

Authors: Tarabay, Jamie

Published: June 2018

URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/world/australia/encryption-bill-nauru.html

Abstract: On December 6, 2018, the New York Times published an article about Australia’s passage of the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 (TOLA Act), which requires technology companies to grant law enforcement access to encrypted messages. The article’s main focus was relaying the arguments of the opponents and proponents of the bill. Opponents of the bill believe it compromises the privacy of Australians, could lead to abuse, and will encourage other countries to follow suit. They noted that law enforcement already has the tools to obtain encrypted data, and the bill will be used more by local law enforcement than terrorism experts. Proponents of the bill believe law enforcement access to encrypted data is required to address a legitimate governmental interest in preventing terrorism. The article also noted that Australia politicians were not willing to delay the bill because they did not want to be seen as responsible for any terror attacks over the holidays.