[LINK] Authorities gain power to collect Australians' internet records

[tomk]

On 23/08/2012 7:04 a.m., Kim Holburn wrote:
> http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/authorities-gain-power-to-collect-australians--internet-records-20120822-24m03.html
>
>> Laws passed today will allow authorities to collect and keep Australians' internet records, including their web-browsing history, social media activity and emails.
>>
>> Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said the laws would help police track cyber-criminals around the globe, and would give authorities the power to find people engaged in forgery, fraud, child pornography, and infringement of copyright and intellectual property.
>>
>>

There are defining moments in any civilisations history.

For the Romans, it was when they taught the Britons about pointy things.
For the Germans it was Crystal Nacht
and for the Australians it was the day the Australian Parliament 
authorised entry into our innermost thoughts, bedrooms, deeds and 
desires by allowing our internet activity to be cached and filtered for 
"cyber crime."

Mr. Conroy promised the Uniting Church an Internet Filter, and Mr. 
Conroy has delivered on his promise (albeit a reverse filter, but 
nevertheless, a filter).

A dark day for Internet freedom in Australia.

I foresee a massive resurgence in offline data gathering, PVC's, and 
onion routing. Now the common man will have to become adept at those 
specialities that until today were the exclusive activity of those with 
something to hide.
You know, the cyber criminals. The folks that won't get caught because 
they surf under the seventh layer.

This new legislation unfortunately won't catch any real cyber criminals, 
but it will dramatically slow down e-commerce, knowledge browsing and 
social interactions of all thinking persons.

I for one will now go and remove from my mail lists all persons who's 
intimate pedigrees I am not one hundred percent sure about. After all, 
didn't we learn from an earlier empire that guilt by association leads 
to the same gulag?

I am sad for an Australia that takes it's directions from Cass Sunstein 
in the Whitehouse and is unable to remain true to it's pioneering 
heritage, a wonderful country full of hope, opportunity and promise.

Yesterday will be remembered by future historians as Australia's Crystal 
Nacht.

Tom