Electronic Surveillance bills to become law : Melbourne Indymedia

Here is what the Electronic Frontiers Australia said:

Surveillance Devices Bills 2004

This Bill was passed, without amendment, by the Senate on 30 Nov 2004 and the House of Reps on 8 Dec 2004.

The Surveillance Devices Bill 2004 regulates the use of surveillance devices (data, optical, listening and tracking devices) by law enforcement agencies. However it also significantly widens the circumstances in which they can be used and the types that can be used.

For a full assessment by Electronic Frontiers Australia
http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Privacy/sd_bill2004.html

Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment (Stored Communications) Bill 2004

This Bill was passed, without amendment, by the Senate on 29 Nov 2004 and the House of Reps on 8 Dec 2004. The ALP withdrew the amendments they had tabled before the election (which would have given effect to the Senate Committee recommendations) and voted with the Liberal/National Government to pass the Bill. The Greens and Democrats voted against the Bill.

The Bill was the Commonwealth Government's third attempt since early 2002 to amend the Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979 ("the TI Act") in relation to email, SMS and voice mail messages. The stored communications provisions of this Bill are substantially the same as the proposed and rejected provisions of the TI Bill 2002.

Moreover, this Bill is even more objectionable than the 2002 proposal because it completely removes email, SMS and voice mail messages (stored communications) from the scope of the protection of the TI Act.

For a full assessment by Electronic Frontiers Australia
http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Privacy/tia-bill2004-sc.html