Privacy – Page 16 of 19 – Pirate Party Australia

Body Scanners Are “Security Theatre” Says Pirate Party Australia

Posted on February 7, 2012

Pirate Party Australia condemns Labor’s plan to install compulsory full body scanners at international airports[1]. These systems have been proven ineffective time and time again, and the privacy and economic forfeitures far outweigh any perceived security benefits.

Despite having had only a handful of “terrorist plots” domestically – none of which were successful – the Government continues to push the myth that privacy invasion is necessary for “security”. Considering that the few planned terrorist attacks in Australia have been prevented under current laws, Pirate Party Australia questions whether introducing new legislation is actually in the national interest.

Pirate Party Australia Submission Paper Decries ACTA

Posted on January 30, 2012

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Pirate Party Australia has decried the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

ACTA’s claimed objectives are the establishment of new global standards for enforcing intellectual property rights, including increased international co-operation to address counterfeiting and ‘piracy’. The European Union became a signatory to ACTA last Thursday, joining Australia, the United States, Singapore and others.

The European Union’s rapporteur on ACTA resigned over the Agreement last week, claiming that there has been “no inclusion of civil society organisations, a lack of transparency from the start of the negotiations,” and “everyone knows the ACTA agreement is problematic, whether it is its impact on civil liberties, the way it makes Internet access providers liable [and] its consequences on generic drugs manufacturing.”[1]

“Give No Quarter” Says Pirate Party Australia To ISPs

Posted on November 28, 2011

Pirate Party Australia objects to the recent proposal by Communications Alliance LTD, titled “A Scheme to Address Online Copyright Infringement.”[1]

The proposal aims to introduce an infringement notice system sent by ISPs on behalf of content rights holders to notify users of alleged copyright infringement linked to their account, as well as education about online copyright infringement.

Pirate Party Australia Shocked By US Memorandum Of Understanding

Posted on November 21, 2011

Pirate Party Australia is shocked at the recently signed memorandum of understanding between Australia and the United States.[1]

The “Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Australia On Enhancing Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Crime” (MOU) was signed on Wednesday by the Minister for Home Affairs and Justice and the United States Ambassador to Australia on behalf of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security[2].

Pirates Raise More Concerns Over Attorney-General’s Conduct

Posted on October 16, 2011

Since Pirate Party Australia highlighted[1] major flaws in the recently released discussion paper by the Attorney-General’s Department, it has come to our attention that the paper has been quietly changed to a very redacted version with no public notification. This is an unacceptably opaque attack on our civil liberties, and only further highlights the Government’s continual attempts to limit the public’s involvement in any governmental decision making.

There are significant changes to the redacted version. The title of the original paper is “Revising the Scope of the Copyright ‘Safe Harbour Scheme’ & The Process of Seeking ISP Subscriber Details in Copyright Infringement Matters” while the suddenly redacted version is entitled simply “Revising the Scope of the Copyright ‘Safe Harbour Scheme’”