>The federal spying agency is supported by the Northern Territory Police, Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Crime Commission and Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, who all say they are in support of a data-retention regime.
Just once I'd like to see a law-enforcement agency somewhere in the world and do the unexpected: come out for individual liberty, and against invasive data practices. It would be remarkable because this data represents leverage that the cops can use against, well, anyone, and so to give it up as a matter of principle would be a laudable position.
Another interesting thing about this quote is that it so blatantly gives lie to the notion that any of this power is used, or is even intended to be used, for national security. No, this data is going to be used by cops on the street. It's going to be used as leverage, and as an insurance policy: if they beat you up, they do a background check and see if you did something wrong. If you did, they offer to reduce charges on those grave offenses if you agree not to charge the department with brutalizing you. If it wasn't for all that data, where would the poor old police have the leverage to strike such a deal? They'd have to go to all the trouble of actually getting warrants and seize your data, which is of course an undue burden on the police. Much better to have it all stored and waiting for use.
Just once I'd like to see a law-enforcement agency somewhere in the world and do the unexpected: come out for individual liberty, and against invasive data practices. It would be remarkable because this data represents leverage that the cops can use against, well, anyone, and so to give it up as a matter of principle would be a laudable position.
Another interesting thing about this quote is that it so blatantly gives lie to the notion that any of this power is used, or is even intended to be used, for national security. No, this data is going to be used by cops on the street. It's going to be used as leverage, and as an insurance policy: if they beat you up, they do a background check and see if you did something wrong. If you did, they offer to reduce charges on those grave offenses if you agree not to charge the department with brutalizing you. If it wasn't for all that data, where would the poor old police have the leverage to strike such a deal? They'd have to go to all the trouble of actually getting warrants and seize your data, which is of course an undue burden on the police. Much better to have it all stored and waiting for use.