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Agony: April 29

Tonight's edition of Agony discusses the issue of privacy versus security.

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Tonight’s edition of Agony discusses the issue of privacy versus security.

Is privacy an inherent human right? Is the quest for privacy, underplaying the threat of terrorism?

A few months ago, a plot to kidnap a random from in Sydney and film their public beheading was foiled. It’s difficult to oppose increased surveillance powers when you think that it could have been the decapitated body of someone you love lying in the street. When you look at it this way, the proposed metadata laws seem quite reasonable. But intelligence agencies in Australia and around the world have a disturbing habit of overstepping the bounds. It’s a slippery slope and the hunt for terrorists can easily become the hunt for whistleblowers or anyone else who offends the government of the day.

The real issue with metadata isn’t privacy: it’s the potential for governments and secretive intelligence agencies to abuse their power. Where is the line between keeping citizens safe and a 2015, electronic version of the Stasi?

9pm tonight on ABC.

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