Big reputation: What the Australian Parliament Can Learn from Taylor Swift

Tags: \\#AABILL \\#DEFENDENCRYPTION \\#SECUREAUSTRALIA 2010s Assistance and Access Bill Australia

Authors: Stepanovich, Amie

Published: February 2019

URL: https://www.accessnow.org/big-reputation-what-the-australian-parliament-can-learn-from-taylor-swift/

Abstract: On January 26, 2019, Access Now published an article about Australia’s passage of the draconian Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access Bill) Act 2018, which requires technology companies to grant law enforcement hack devices and access to encrypted messages, without judicial oversight. At the time the article was written, the bill called for further review, which opened up the potential to add “amendments, safeguards, and transparency requirements” to the bill. The article’s main focus is the lessons Australian Parliamentarians should take into consideration when they review the law. These factors include the erosion of trust, removal of companies and products from the Australian market, inadequate accountability and limitations on law enforcement, the threat that foreign governments who invoke the bill, without transparency, for a “serious crime” with abuse this right, the increased threat of malicious activity from bad actors, omission of key considerations, and the fact that the bill is more likely to hinder than help Australians and their government. This purpose of this piece is to advocate that Australian Parliamentarians postpone enacting the bill until they can demonstrate it is necessary, and notes that they can still “act to substantially revise its provisions or even vacate the law altogether in favor of a more thoughtful, useful, and effective approach that would preserve digital security and protect human rights.”