The proposed changes to telecommunications law in the Australian parliament have some worried and others concerned. Metadata retention, online privacy, and telecommunications industry worries are certainly hot topics, but how important are they to the average Australian? What is the impact on their privacy? We found this information in the Financial Review article,”Data retention: a delicate balancing act.”
The bill would amend a 35-year-old act that prohibits the interception of, or access to, telecommunications without consent, although law enforcement agencies can do so with a warrant. Significant changes in technology have resulted in a need to update the act, especially to manage digital communications and to address national security concerns. Sound familiar?
The bill would require Australian telecommunication companies to retain “metadata” for two years. The bill is specific as to what makes up metadata, and telecommunication companies will have up to two years to implement this scheme. Many of the larger companies already do this. Organizations are constantly facing the challenges of handling data, especially in relation to storage, size, and security.
Melody K. Smith
Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in thesaurus, ontology, and taxonomy creation and metadata application.
