Tech giants to be targeted by (Australian) anti-terror laws to help police access encrypted data

[Karlston]

New laws to force the nation's (Australia) telecommunications companies and multinational tech giants to help law enforcement access the encrypted data of suspected criminals and terrorists will be released in weeks.

But Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor is reluctant to discuss exactly how the new powers would work, or whether the proposal would allow the embedding of surveillance codes in mobile devices.

 

Under the new laws, companies would face significant fines if they did not comply with requests for access to the data.

 

Telecommunications companies such as Telstra and Optus are not the only target, with multinational tech giants including Facebook, Apple and Google to also come under the new laws.

 

Mr Taylor said there was nothing suspicious about the proposal, and argued it simply reflected the modern era and the rise in use of messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

 

"Already there are powers there where if two people involved in a paedophile ring are talking to each other on the phone, law enforcement can use technology to access the content of that phone conversation," Mr Taylor told the ABC's RN Breakfast.

"Those laws should be extended to a situation where messages are being sent through an app, or via any other means, in ways that the current laws hadn't anticipated."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull foreshadowed the new laws last year, arguing companies such as Facebook and Google had "an obligation" to cooperate with investigations.

 

Mr Taylor was repeatedly asked whether surveillance codes would be dropped into mobile devices, and avoided directly answering by arguing he was not prepared to get into the technical details.

 

"It includes whatever techniques are relevant, and that's how the current system works," he said.

 

"It's not appropriate to have a world where we can do this for analogue data, analogue communication, but we can't do it in the digital world."

 

Draft legislation will be presented in weeks, with time allowed for public consultation.

No 'back door' for cops, Taylor argues

There have been concerns the Government would attempt to force companies to install a "back door" in their apps and equipment, or provide law enforcement with an encryption key to remotely access data in criminal investigations.

 

Tech companies were worried that would allow people to exploit messaging platforms.

 

It follows disputes between the FBI and Apple over accessing encrypted data during a shooting investigation a few years ago.

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a crackdown on internet services that allowed extremist ideology "the safe space it needs to breed", in the wake of the London Bridge and Borough Markets terror attack.

 

But Mr Taylor said there would not be a requirement for a "back door" to be built in to apps and platforms.

 

"There's been ideas around for decades that you should create some kind of key that law enforcement can get access to, to access any data at any time — that's not what we're proposing here," Mr Taylor said.

"We're very sympathetic to the concerns that the tech service providers have had.

"But at the same time we must ensure that law enforcement doesn't lose access to the data and the information they need to pre-empt terror attacks and crimes, and to hold criminals and terrorists to account."

 

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor wanted to see more detail before announcing whether it would back the proposal.

 

"But where we've seen measures that go too far, or have been rushed, or haven't been sufficiently well thought out, we've been prepared to make amendments, to make suggestions," Mr Shorten said.

 

"It's that constructive approach which we intend to keep taking."

 

Former attorney-general George Brandis raised the need for tech companies to hand over encrypted data with Australia's key intelligence allies last year.

 

Source: Tech giants to be targeted by anti-terror laws to help police access encrypted data (ABC (Australia))

[steven36]

Do they the store data there in the AU are  will they have go through some otherr country to get it?  They may have a hard time getting it from the EU but the USA  would be glad too help them out I even think the AU spying capabilities was put in by the NSA and they have a direct line to the NSA.   The sad thing is there is no data retention laws in the USA like there is many countries yet. These tech giants all store data in the USA to sell it for profit  and if it's there, the Government can make them release it . It's people trusting Big tech with there data that's the problem.

 

Use open source encryption  is always you're best bet for IM,  even James Comey said if they could put backdoors in it would not help with open source encryption   and stay away from email that is big tech FFS, use one in some other country that's not USA or your country if you value you're privacy .in  fact i recommend having more than one email and dont never make them with you're real info do it behind a vpn. Back years ago Big Tech didn't want a cell phone number to join emails now all of them in the USA ask for one just about.

[straycat19]

Australia will reveal in the coming weeks new laws that will force tech companies to help police access the encrypted data of suspected criminals, but is ambiguous on how those powers will work.

 

Angus Taylor, the country's cyber security minister, wouldn't directly answer Australia's ABC News' repeated question on whether surveillance codes would be dropped into mobile devices.

 

"It includes whatever techniques are relevant, and that's how the current system works," he said. "It's not appropriate to have a world where we can do this for analogue data, analogue communication, but we can't do it in the digital world."

 

However, he insisted that it won't involve a built-in back door to bypass encryption.

 

"There's been ideas around for decades that you should create some kind of key that law enforcement can get access to, to access any data at any time -- that's not what we're proposing here," Taylor told ABC.

 

The laws will apply to Australian telecommunications companies like Telstra and Optus, in addition to international tech companies like Facebook, Apple and Google. They will face major fines if they fail to comply.

 

Draft legislation will be presented in the coming weeks, followed by a period of public consultation.

 

Last year, the country's then-attorney-general, George Brandis, said Australia wanted to cooperate with service providers to "ensure reasonable assistance is provided to law enforcement and security agencies."

 

In May, US lawmakers introduced a bill that would stop the government from forcing companies to create back doors for law enforcement. 

 

Source

[bubbada]

metadata now encryption what next?

[Stanners]

Its a joke mate ------- There is another group that used to do things like this. Nazi....

[straycat19]

1 hour ago, Stanners said:

Its a joke mate ------- There is another group that used to do things like this. Nazi....

 

Not really since most encryption producing companies already provide special software that will provide an encryption key using a different code every day.  A forensic investigator just runs the program, enters the code for that day and it produces an encryption key that will unlock that particular encryption that day.  Otherwise we wouldn't be able to access full drive encryption, which we definitely have been able to do for at least 10 years.

[knowledge-Spammer]

what Nazi  got to do  withencrypted data ?

[YURY67]

Everything goes to the point that there will be nothing left of privacy. Apparently companies will have to develop their own means of protection.

[Stanners]

On 6/11/2018 at 7:36 AM, knowledge said:

what Nazi  got to do  withencrypted data ?

Big Brother mate! 

It starts with little things all of it sounds OK at first and its always "for the best". 

No one thought in 1930 what those guys would turn into by 1940.

Yes its an extreme example but for years Australian politicians have been sneaking little laws through saying its for the best but what it amounts to is taking one freedom away after another.

Our friendly government is also going to start pumping all our photo's from drivers licences and other forms of ID into a national DB with facial recognition just so they can track us - because they want to keep us "safe"for our "own good".