Australia (Commonwealth Union) – Civil liberties activists and organizations have expressed deep concern over more and more state authorities infringing on the personal freedoms of the public. A study conducted by Deakin University examined investigative journalists and media lawyers with regard to renewed concerns for press freedom in Australia amidst new surveillance laws.
The study, Securing Australian Journalism from Surveillance, evaluated the effects of the Data Retention Act (2015), the Assistance and Access Act (2018), the International Production Orders Act (2020) and the Identify and Disrupt Act (2021) on its implications for the Australian free press. Dr Diarmaid Harkin of the Deakin University, School of Humanities and Social Sciences who led the project stated that the findings showed the new legislation had intimidated some whistle-blowers into silence. He further indicated that there was clear proof the powers discouraged certain sources from making revelations and Australians now existed in a climate of increased government surveillance.
Dr Harkin also stated that the government and law enforcement agencies have greater electronic surveillance abilities than other comparable Five Eyes partner-nations to view information of private citizens. The Five Eyes refers to the intelligence sharing alliance between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“Metadata retention laws were particularly considered to have had a major effect on whistle-blowers. There was also a strong belief among those we spoke to that this environment of increased surveillance came at a time of heightened antagonism toward the media by the former federal government,” said Dr Harkin.
Researchers recommended on behalf of journalists to secure journalists from surveillance. This arrives as a significant law reform is in progress following the Richardson review on the legal structure governing telecommunications surveillance in Australia. Recommended reforms include the need of a judicial warrant by authorities to view metadata in any circumstance and not only journalists.
