Roxon’s Metadata Definition Still Dangerously Flawed

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Pirate Party Australia is concerned by Attorney-General Nicola Roxon’s recent letter to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). In the letter Ms Roxon attempts to clarify the meaning of “telecommunications data” in the ongoing National Security Inquiry.

According to Ms Roxon, “telecommunications data” is everything except the actual contents of communications.

“While this may seem harmless, knowing who is communicating with who can be just as revealing as the actual contents,” said Brendan Molloy, Secretary of Pirate Party Australia. “By storing who you are communicating with, profiles can be built of individuals and communities. This is not reasonable surveillance, this is spying on innocent people.”

“In addition, storing the date, time and location that communications were made at is effectively a massive tracking scheme. We are constantly sending data through Facebook, emails, text messages, and so on. There are obvious implications about storing where we were and when.”

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Freedom Not Fear 2012 – Sydney

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This weekend, Saturday September 15, activists will gather in Sydney’s Hyde Park to protest under the banner of the international ‘Freedom Not Fear’ movement[1]. They join with protesters across Europe demanding an end to the surveillance mania.

“As we commemorate the eleventh anniversary of the despicable 9/11 attacks, we also reflect on the climate of fear that has been exploited and allowed governments, law enforcement and intelligence agencies to pass controversial, unnecessary and unbalanced laws that erode privacy and other fundamental freedoms,” said David W. Campbell, President of Pirate Party Australia.

The Australian Government has proposed sweeping legislative changes with the claim of protecting national security. These changes, if accepted, represent the greatest erosion of privacy we have seen in Australia.

“We invite Sydneysiders to join us at midday this Saturday, September 15, to protest proposals like those of the National Security Inquiry. We ask them to join us in re-affirming the values of a free and open society, demanding freedom, not fear,” continued Mr Campbell.

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AG Roxon’s Sudden Support for Data Retention Disconcerting

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Attorney-General Nicola Roxon appears to have swung her support behind a controversial plan to capture the online data of all Australians, despite only six weeks ago saying ”the case had yet to be made” for the policy[1].

Pirate Party Australia is confused over why the Attorney-General is supporting mandatory data retention, despite acknowledging the many flaws and security issues that storing this data presents.

Ms Roxon seems to have held a prior opinion opposing the retention plan, and for good reasons. The suggested plan is in direct contravention of human rights treaties Australia is signatory to. It includes arbitrary violation of privacy and an unprecedented level of interference, in violation of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 12[2]. It is akin to having the postal service steam open your mail, photocopy it and reseal it before delivering it.

“It is amusing that in a talk she gave at the Security in Government Conference[3], Roxon talks about the ‘balance between ensuring we have the investigative tools needed to protect the community and individual privacy’ – less than ten minutes after saying that ‘staff can be confused, exploited or corrupted into providing access to systems.’ How can she envision setting up a system for data retention, knowing these systems can be, and are being, subverted?” said David W. Campbell, President of Pirate Party Australia

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One Small Step Towards Innovation

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This opinion piece was co-authored by David Campbell (President) and Mozart Olbrycht-Palmer (Deputy Secretary).

Following the ABC’s announcement that they will be streaming timely content from the new series of Dr Who, I applaud the broadcaster for moving with public demand and technological advancements.

I am very pleased to see a publicly funded broadcaster moving with society rather than against it. The ABC has recognised the demand for global release dates to be brought closer together. If more broadcasters (and content rights holders) could recognise this demand and innovate within the marketplace, as the ABC has done, the issues of fans wanting content available in a timely fashion would no longer be a concern.

Instead of attacking fans with litigation, or lobbying governments to restrict our civil rights, we need to move with new technology and innovate within the global market. Old media broadcasters cannot afford to flounder or their place will be taken by new content suppliers who have adapted to the changing environment.

When fans of a television show can share high definition “pirate” recordings with the other side of the world within hours of the initial broadcast, Australian fans find it difficult to understand why it takes weeks, months or even years for a television show to reach our shores. In a globally connected society, where peer groups span the world, creating ubiquitous word-of-mouth demand and discussing popular content and culture, the lack of availability often results in infringement of the established copyright monopoly.

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Freedom Not Fear Sydney Rally Announced

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As part of a global day of action, a coalition of activists have called a Freedom Not Fear rally and barbecue in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Saturday September 15 at 12pm. The action is supported by a range of organisations including Pirate Party Australia, Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition, Electronic Frontiers Australia, the NSW Fire Brigades Employees Union and Privacy.io.

There will be speakers and workshops covering a range of issues, including censorship, surveillance, governmental transparency, encryption and whistleblowing. There will also be music and (council permitting) a barbecue.

“We think it is important to show our opposition to censorship and the rising surveillance state,” said Simon Frew, Deputy President of Pirate Party Australia and one of the organisers. “We encourage everyone who is concerned about the erosion of our civil liberties to come along and show their support for a free society. Since the beginning of the War on Terror, there has been a continual erosion of our rights and it is time to say enough.”

“We think a big part of the day is celebrating the freedoms we have and sending the message that we need more. It is healthy for society to hear dissenting voices, to have opposing opinions and to have free debate. We need to start pushing back, campaigning for a freer society, and we see this as a good start,” Mr Frew continued.

More workshops and stalls are welcome. Interested individuals and organisations should contact [email protected] to express interest and work out the details. For more information, see the http://freedomnotfear.net/.