[AusNOG] Metadata retention... it's now (almost) a thing

[Ross Wheeler]

On Thu, 30 Oct 2014, Matt Perkins wrote:

> That fact's seem to be that this legislation will pass without consultation 
> outside the gang of 4 at least and there is little if anything we can do 
> about it. So the conversion should really switch to. What technically do we 
> need to do to meet the requirements of the legislation or instruments. Can we 
> clearly define that so people in our industry can work to a place where we 
> can all provide the same information and be sure that we have not missed 
> something that will cause grief down the track.

My local federal member has just replied to me with (in part):

"Telecommunications companies will have up to two years to fully implement 
the scheme.
To prevent any further erosion of data, industry will be required to at 
least maintain their current practices for holding data during
the implementation period.

The Government is prepared to pay a reasonable share of upfront capital 
costs associated with the implementation of the data retention
scheme."


So, despite their earlier "assurances" that there is no requirement to 
retain things like websites accessed etc, that is absolutely NOT 
preculuded as being a (subsequent) requirement, as has been said on this 
list earlier.

That is, this is absolutely "narrow end of the wedge" legislation, almost 
certainly subject to "feature creep" (or "scope expansion") over time.

There is a great deal we (the numerical majority) are not privy to. I 
suspect (some of) the "gang of 4" have a lot more specific information 
than the rest of us are permitted to know. The secrecy, haste and 
ignorance surrounding this entire thing scares me. (I had written 
"astounds me" then changed it to "surprises me" but in honesty with the 
calibre of politician (and public servants) we have now (and have had for 
quite some time), it neither surprises nor astounds me).