Data Retention and Security: Analysis of Australian Law and Impact

This report analyzes the Australian data retention law, which mandates telecommunication organizations to retain metadata for two years. It explores the controversial nature of the law, highlighting its impact on democratic principles and privacy rights. The report discusses diverse viewpoints, the concerns of stakeholders like the government and the people of Australia, and the role of engineers in addressing surveillance challenges. It examines technologies such as VPNs and Onion routers used to protect user anonymity. The discussion evolves over time, focusing on the shift to metadata and its implications. The report references several articles and sources to support its analysis, offering a comprehensive overview of the complex interplay between data retention, security, and civil liberties in the Australian context.

Running head: DATA AND SECURITY
DATA AND SECURITY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Summary of Article.............................................................................................................2
Why the Topic is Controversial?.........................................................................................2
What are some diverse view?..............................................................................................3
What are reasons for Stakeholders for expressing their views?..........................................3
Role of Engineers................................................................................................................3
Discussion on similar Topic and changes over time...........................................................4
References............................................................................................................................5

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Summary of Article
In the last few months, Australian civil rights have faced attack. In the month April, the
data retention law of government has come into the picture. Under this law, telecommunication
organization require the organization to have the meta-data for last two-years. Meta-data is
collected from phone calls, messages, mail and activity on the internet platform. It is completely
traced by the government and is accessible by different agencies (Anon 2019). This particular
law come into picture only few weeks prior to Australia marked its privacy awareness week.
Law for data retention is found to be as one of the comprehensive and data collection in the
western world. This particular law highlights the democratic principle on which Australia is
based. The Privacy principle of Australia aims to define the personal information which is
permissible in nature. The second thing which should be considered is that metadata which is
data about data that provides description about the daily activities and movements. This
particular law is justified for the need of protecting Australian from any kind of terrorist attack.
There is a range of widely-accessible technologies for achieving the overall objective. VPN
stands for virtual private network generally hides all the browsing data and information from
different internet service providers. On April 13, the data retention law comes into action which
is often known as VPN day (Brevini 2017). Onion router is known to be free software which is
needed for protecting the anonymity of different users. It is all about concealing the internet
activity for surveillance and analysis. There is certain number application like signal and
Telegram which aims to provide data encryption solution.

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Why the Topic is Controversial?
The topic is controversial as it neglects the democratic principles on which Australia is
based. It generally blocks the privacy rights and protection of collected personal information.
Australian Privacy policy merely defines the condition on which personal information is
permissible. The law states that personal information needs to be collected by fair means.
Metadata is all about collecting data concerning daily activities and movements (Sarre 2017).
The data retention law is known to be a logic which has an embedded statement as it targets most
of people of Australia. The intent rights of handful of terrorist should not be used for harming the
rights of Australia.
What is some diverse view?
In the month of April, government data retention law has come into picture. Data
retention law aims to objective for some of serious terrorist activities. There is a wide range of
technologies which can be used for overcoming the surveillance of government. Data retention
law is damaging the civil rights and second law is lasting legacy which is increasing the budget
debt by a value of $ 740 million dollars in the upcoming years (Fernandez and Pearson 2015).
The key stakeholders in the given scenario are Australian government and people of Australia.
What are reasons for Stakeholders for expressing their views?
Data retention law is unlikely to have objectives and serious threat of terrorist. Law needs
to be justified for the need of protecting the people of Australia from any kind of terrorist attack.
Australian Privacy policy merely defines certain number of limited condition under which there
is permissible collection of personal information (Brevini 2017). Metadata is known to be broad
scope which can provide much more information about the actual content of the communication.

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Role of Engineers
Data retention law is likely to be achieved which highlights the objective and serious
terrorist activities. At present, there are large number of technologies which can be used for
tackling the government surveillance (Daly 2018). Data retention law is damaging the civil rights
of Australia. Law is found to contribution for an increase in budget around 740 million dollars in
the upcoming next years.
Discussion on similar Topic and changes over time
Data retention generally requires certain laws which forces the Internet Service Provider
and Telecomm organization to easily collect data and store records. It is mainly needed for
documentation of online activities for large number of user. Under this law, government can
demand for having access to phone records and Internet service providers for keeping call
records (Sarre 2017). Over the period of time the discussion has completely changed to metadata
which has the information about call and online activities.

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References
Anon, 2019. The new data retention law seriously invades our privacy – and it's time we took
action. [online] The Conversation. Available at: <http://theconversation.com/the-new-data-
retention-law-seriously-invades-our-privacy-and-its-time-we-took-action-78991> [Accessed 3
Sep. 2019].
Brevini, B., 2017. Metadata laws, journalism and resistance in Australia. Media and
Communication, 5(1), pp.76-83.
Source : https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/bitstream/handle/document/55527/ssoar-mediacomm-
2017-1-brevini Metadata_laws_journalism_and_resistance.pdf?
sequence=1&isAllowed=y&lnkname=ssoar-mediacomm-2017-1-brevini-
Metadata_laws_journalism_and_resistance.pdf. [Accessed 3 Sep. 2019].
Daly, A., 2018. The introduction of data breach notification legislation in Australia: A
comparative view. Computer law & security review, 34(3), pp.477-495.
Source : https://analogdigital.com.au/SSRN-id3106219.pdf [Accessed 3 Sep. 2019].
Fernandez, J. and Pearson, M., 2015. POLITICAL JOURNALISM: Shield laws in Australia:
Legal and ethical implications for journalists and their confidential sources. Pacific Journalism
Review: Te Koakoa, 21(1), pp.61-78.
Source : https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/pacific-journalism-review/article/download/148/111. [Accessed 3
Sep. 2019].
Sarre, R., 2017. Metadata retention as a means of combatting terrorism and organised crime: a
perspective from Australia. Asian journal of criminology, 12(3), pp.167-179.

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Source : https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/pacific-journalism-review/article/download/148/111 [Accessed 3
Sep. 2019].