[AusNOG] Telstra agreed to retain [Australian] data for US authorities

[Tony]

Hi Tim,

Perhaps instead of posting a link and a single word "discuss" you could have put a bit more effort into your post and others might have done the same ? Maybe ventured an opinion yourself on what was bad and why it was bad and what you would have done differently ?

The way I see it, yes it's not the best thing to happen in the world. I can however appreciate the other side of it to. Imagine yourself the head of Telstra in 2001 (I think that was Ziggy's time ?). You're sitting in your palacial office, feet on the desk, lighting your cigar with a burning $100 note (oops plastic, that doesn't work too well). Two guys in black suits walk in, look all around the room, then a third suit walks in. He puts it to you that you will do what is outlined in the document being given to you. You essentially have two choices:

1. Comply.
2. Politely deline and effectively disconnect Australian Internet from the rest of the world.

The man STRONGLY suggests to you that the first one is the best option for you to choose.

This was 2001, pretty much all of our Internet connectivity was via the USA (and it mostly still is). The US was our biggest trading partner at that point in time, we were and still are a strong ally with the US. If you don't think the Australian govt & security was involved in this at the highest levels then you would be mistaken (I'm sure I read something to this effect). Do we want to stay on the good side of the US or not was essentially the question. The US had just had the beejeesus bombed out of them by unknown assailants in a coordinated attack by an unknown "enemy" (or so we would believe ?). The US was probably a little bit scared and a little bit paranoid at this point, I suspect there was no options to negotiate or water down the terms of the agreement - take it or leave it. What would you do ?


regards,
Tony.


(yes, my word imagery above is a bit cliche'/hollywood/x-files, but anyway)




>________________________________
> From: Tim March <march.tim at gmail.com>
>To: Geordie Guy <elomis at gmail.com> 
>Cc: "<ausnog at lists.ausnog.net>" <ausnog at lists.ausnog.net> 
>Sent: Sunday, 14 July 2013 1:13 PM
>Subject: Re: [AusNOG] Telstra agreed to retain [Australian] data for US authorities
> 
>
>
>Someone posts "Your national carrier is spying on you on behalf of a 
>foreign state" and it gets four responses. Someone posts "ZOMGLOL WE 
>MIGHT GET THE GOOGLE-WEBZ ONE DAY" and it gets 17 responses. This is why 
>we can't have nice things.
>
>
>T.
>
>On 13/07/13 10:51 AM, Geordie Guy wrote:
>> Curious what the official definition of spying is if it isn't "provides
>> information on citizens to a foreign government".
>>
>> - Geordie
>>
>> On 13/07/2013 9:01 AM, "Tim March" <march.tim at gmail.com
>> <mailto:march.tim at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>    http://www.zdnet.com/telstra-__agreed-to-retain-data-for-us-__authorities-7000017986/
>>     <http://www.zdnet.com/telstra-agreed-to-retain-data-for-us-authorities-7000017986/>
>>
>>     Discuss.
>>
>>
>
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