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Data retention plan could be used against Piracy

Update: ISPs would be required to to store customer data for up to 2 years, but Turnbull says Piracy is not the focus.

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pirateInternet Service Providers would be required to to store customer data for up to 2 years, which could ultimately be used in the fight against illegal piracy.

Fairfax Media reports customer names and addresses, IP addresses, billing information, download and upload volumes, and the duration and locations of phone calls and internet sessions would fall under a mandatory data retention scheme proposed by the Federal Government.

The content of calls or emails, web browsing history or real-time location information are not included.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the scheme could “absolutely” also be used to tackle the illicit downloading of movies and music.

But Malcolm Turnbull said the scheme would probably not make a big difference to tackling copyright infringement because it does not cover torrent sites.

He has said access to metadata plays a central role in counterterrorism, counter-espionage, cyber security and organised crime investigation.

But ISPs have suggested the costs of data retention could see internet billing rise for customers, at up to $100 a year, which has some branding it a ‘surveillance tax.’

Opposing the proposal on privacy grounds are The Greens, Independent senator Nick Xenophon and Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm.

The Abbott government has agreed to delay a parliamentary vote on mandatory data retention until next year while the bill has been referred to an inquiry.

Update: “The Australian Federal Police and ASIO frankly are not interested in whether you are illegally downloading a copy of the Game of Thrones,” Malcolm Turnbull told ABC television on Friday.

“That’s a bad thing to do, but I can tell you our national security agencies have got other things on their mind.”

13 Responses

  1. @Hoin: If you search “50 Years Of Homicide” on YouTube you’ll see the 10-minute segment about the show hosted by Daniel MacPherson. The actual episode that was broadcast, titled The Assassin, is not included however.

  2. @IdiotBoxing: I’ve been trying to get two shows – Shock Horror Aunty and 50 Years Of Homicide, both of which are not on DVD or the ABC or Seven websites. I went on the Net and found them on Torrent sites. I refuse to download Torrents because they are full of spyware/adware and viruses. So, Idiot there are quite a lot of people who want copies of Australian Shows.

  3. Combatting piracy is only good for OS content – tell me who pirates Aussie stuff? Australian TV is first run and easy get, barring Foxtel. They’d ultimately be targeting Aussies on behalf of US media giants so they can keep price gouging us.

    I don’t buy that reducing piracy would increase production here. Most production budgets come from networks, Foxtel, various hard to get grants or advertisers. They want to force you to watch their bloated advertising vehicles, not encourage you to make your own stuff!

    Production in this country runs on an oily rag as it is, they won’t reinvest that new money back into production, I guarantee it.

  5. I suggest Australia Post should save the details of all mail posted through them.
    Simple to save the addressee, but I suppose they’ll have to open some envelopes to find out who the sender is.
    Never mind, it’s a great job creation scheme!
    Then they must store this info for 2 years.
    Only sensible….. for the security of our country. Agree?

  6. The data retention is not being used to fight terrorism.

    In the US it is being (ab)used to every one they suspect of criminal activity, over 95% is used this way.

    Stop the spying, it is abuse of power and counter to our basic system of innocent until proven guilty.

  7. It’s an isp’s job to provide a good quality internet service to their customers not to spy on their customers. The power has gotten to some politicians heads.

    In regards to content providers, they need to get their heads out of the sand and fix up the issues within their industry in how they provide content.

  8. DB, that’s a bit simplistic. If piracy is nipped in the bud in this country, it will allow producers to turely tap the more fluid distribution of the internet and genuinely make a lot of smaller, hard to commission ideas, potentially become good little businesses.

    It’s a very good thing for the media and production industry.

    What Malcolm also needs to focus on is mergers and acquisitions without creating projectionist laws. Having a paytv monopoly with potentially a FTA channel, national radio stations and ownership of the world’s biggest producer being Shine and Endemol (once approved), is a terrible thing.

  9. Piracy is illegal. Simple as that.

    Blaming Rupert is a little childish really. Owners of content have the right to protect their property. They have paid to produce it, why shouldn’t you pay for it.

  10. This won’t be a good thing for the entertainment industry. If governments start cracking down on pirates rather than attempting to fix outdated copyright law and encouraging distributors to change their economic models, we’ll see the entertainment industry largely in control by a Murdoch monopoly, and while other countries start becoming more progressive in their local industries, Australia will be left in the dark ages and we’ll see no change to the status quo. Turnbull is one of the most useless comms ministers. He is ensuring that the debate is continually about piracy and not the static business practices of big distributors.

  11. Of course it would.. It has very little to do with terrorism. It’s so Rupert and his friends can punish people and make more money. Also so the government can spy on every little thing you do.

    1984

  12. I’m sure there could be some adverse consequences with this, but on the whole will be a very good thing for the entertainment industry.

    Thankfully we have the one decent coalition minister managing the communications portfolio.

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