SoylentNews

When's A Backdoor Not A Backdoor? When The Oz Government Says It Isn't

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday August 14 2018, @07:45PM   
from the just-use-the-front-door dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Australia's promised “not-a-backdoor” crypto-busting bill is out and the government has kept its word - it doesn't want a backdoor, just the keys to your front one.

The draft of The Assistance and Access Bill 2018 calls for anyone using or selling communications services in Australia will be subject to police orders for access to private data.

That includes all vendors of computers, phones, apps, social media and cloud services in the Lucky Country, and anyone within national borders using them. These data-tapping orders will be enforced with fines of up to AU$10m (US$7.3m) for companies or $50,000 ($36,368) for individuals

The draft legislation also wants five years in prison for anyone who reveals a data-slurping investigation is going on. And while there's no explicit encryption backdoor requirements in the 110 page draft bill, our first look suggests there doesn't need to be.

---

Original Submission

• Re:Moral: Don't do business with Australia Re:Moral: Don't do business with Australia (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday August 15 2018, @07:02PM (1 child)

  by tangomargarine (667) on Wednesday August 15 2018, @07:02PM (#721888)

  ...wouldn't not selling in the U.S. also deal a massive blow to Apple's profits? Bit of a vacuous truth [wikipedia.org] argument.

  --
  "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		2

• Re:Moral: Don't do business with Australia (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 20 2018, @02:07AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 20 2018, @02:07AM (#723580)

  This story isn't about the U.S. It's about Australia.

  Parent