The Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020 gives the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) powers to modify, add to,…
What just happened? The Australian Senate passed a new surveillance bill that grants police sweeping authority over online data this past week. Presumably, law enforcement will only use the law to combat serious crimes hidden on the dark web, but critics are taking serious issue with how broad the new powers seem. The Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020 gives the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) powers to modify, add to, copy, or delete data to “frustrate the commission of serious offenses online.” To gather evidence of suspected criminal activity, they also have the power to take over online accounts. The Australian Greens Party’s website warns that police can do this without formally accusing a person of a crime.
