Australian Government now has unlimited ability to monitor, access and control any computer as well as jail whisteblowers and more.

[Redheadsrule13]

Okay, I'm going to try and not quote the entire article here, even though I really want to. First news post.
This piece of legislation is a response to the recent terrorist activity that's been happening in Australia.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/terror-laws-clear-senate-enabling-entire-australian-web-to-be-monitored-and-whistleblowers-to-be-jailed-20140926-10m8ih.html

 

First of all, the unlimited access to any and every device upon a network:

The new bill also allows ASIO to seek just one warrant to access a limitless number of computers on a computer network when attempting to monitor a target, which lawyers, rights groups, academics and Australian media organisations have condemned.

They said this would effectively allow the entire internet to be monitored, as it is a "network of networks" and the bill does not specifically define what a computer network is.
ASIO will also be able to copy, delete, or modify the data held on any of the computers it has a warrant to monitor.

The bill also allows ASIO to disrupt target computers, and use innocent third-party computers not targeted in order to access a target computer.

 

 

So the government now has access to absolutely everything they want to, as well as being able to control it, even if it's not the device that they're targeting.
 

Next up; what happens if you're a whistleblower, journalist or even a normal person who leaks information.

Anyone - including journalists, whistleblowers and bloggers - who "recklessly" discloses "information ... [that] relates to a special intelligence operation" faces up to 10 years' jail.

Those who identify ASIO agents could also face a decade in prison under the new bill, a tenfold increase on the existing maximum penalty.

The government want's to keep it's secrets, and it'll jail the shit out of anyone who thinks about doing otherwise.

 

Now, something to ice the cake on just how extreme this is:

After concerns were raised by Labor and Senator Leyonhjelm, the government agreed to amend the legislation to specifically rule out ASIO using torture.

"ASIO cannot, does not and has never engaged in torture," Senator Brandis said.

Yup, it would have allowed them to torture people, keeping in mind that could be any average person who leaks information.

 

Now, this is batshit fucking crazy you say. Well, you're right, and there are some good politicians who tried to do something about it.

The Australian Greens, through Senator Scott Ludlam, put forward an amendment that would limit the number of computers ASIO could access with one warrant to 20 but it failed to gain support from Labor or the government.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon and Liberal Democratic Senator David Leyonhjelm also put forward amendments that would protect whistleblowers but these did not gain enough support either.

Senator Leyonhjelm and Senator Xenophon also opposed the legislation, as did independent Senator John Madigan.

One of the amendments put forward by Senator Xenophon would have required ASIO's watchdog, the  Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, to report publicly each year on how many devices ASIO accessed.

But Labor and the government voted against it, with Senator Brandis saying it "would not be appropriate" to report figures as it would reveal information about ASIO's capabilities.

Senator Brandis being the asshat behind all of this.

 

Oh, and you know that thing about the government forcing ISP's to store data?

And, unlike the government's controversial plans to get internet providers to store metadata for up to two years, the bill passed on Thursday allows for the content of communications to be stored.

So they ended up sneaking it in to a different piece of legislation, like they always fucking do.

 

Now, finally, what some of the others had to say about this.

Professor George Williams of the University of NSW has warned previously the bill was too broad.

Most groups that had complained about the new bill also said they feared its disclosure offences went too far, with the Australian Lawyers Alliance saying they would have "not just a chilling effect but a freezing effect" on national security reporting.

The Australian Greens voted against the bill, slamming the new measures as extreme and a "relentless expansion of powers" of the surveillance state.

Senator Leyonhjelm and Senator Xenophon also opposed the legislation, as did independent Senator John Madigan.

And finally, the comment I think best sums up the situation:

Speaking after the bill passed, Senator Ludlam told Fairfax Media he was disappointed. 

"What we've seen [tonight] is, I think, a scary, disproportionate and unnecessary expansion of coercive surveillance powers that will not make anybody any safer but that affect freedoms that have been quite hard fought for and hard won over a period of decades," Senator Ludlam said.

"I have very grave concerns about the direction that the Australian government seems to be suddenly taking the country."

 

Sorry for all those quotes, I just felt that it was necessary to make sure I included everything I needed to. 
I personally think that the current direction is going to make Aus go to complete shit, but all in the name of protecting the people. I used to get angry, then for a while I stopped caring, but now I'm just incredibly frustrated. You know that feeling you get when you just want to punch the living daylights out of someone, but you really can't? Yeah, just like that.

 

I think that the terrorist actions have been completely wrong, and that the reasons behind those actions are also wrong, but I can see how these sort of actions by the govt are going to edge people closer to taking doing crazy things against the country, and it's government.

[alby800]

Well, I am moving to Mars...

[Tech_Dreamer]

[themaniac]

@Geekazoid will not like this

[Trik'Stari]

Tell me more about how people don't need guns and how the governments won't take over everything and put people in jail for "thought crime"

[dragosudeki]

After listening to the Moment of Truth, seems like the NSA has spread to Australia too. When will something like this to occur in my country? Maybe its always been like that though....

[Trik'Stari]

After listening to the Moment of Truth, seems like the NSA has spread to Australia too. When will something like this to occur in my country? Maybe its always been like that though....

Chances are, due to proximity, your government will just come to the US government to get it's surveillance.

 

After all, why watch your own yard when you can have your paranoid, dictator-esque neighbor do it for you?

[TheKDub]

After listening to the Moment of Truth, seems like the NSA has spread to Australia too. When will something like this to occur in my country? Maybe its always been like that though....

 

Time to move to canada!

 

Hopefully their government doesn't become jackasses and start stalking peoples internet usage.

[Redheadsrule13]

Well, I am moving to Mars...

Book me a ticket while you're at it.

 

Tell me more about how people don't need guns and how the governments won't take over everything and put people in jail for "thought crime"

I agree with at least half of that.

[AlexGoesHigh]

so Australia biggest problem isn't the wildlife trying to kill people? ok jokes aside that some fucking medieval shit right there, i mean they can condemn someone by pretty much anything that has to do whit a computer, that just disgusting, also i wanna know how many legitimate criminals can catch now whit this, probably no more that they could before

 

After listening to the Moment of Truth, seems like the NSA has spread to Australia too. When will something like this to occur in my country? Maybe its always been like that though....

i find that aus gov just copy pasted their book to do it themselves instead

[Trik'Stari]

Book me a ticket while you're at it.

 

I agree with at least half of that.

Meh, my government at least knows it's place to some extent, and knows that if they push the 60 million or so gun owners in this country too far, that the military and police will just quit and side with us and they (the politicians) will suddenly all be out of jobs.

 

Look at it this way, one state passed a law requiring everyone who owned an "assault" rifle (theres no such thing, it's a battle rifle or combat rifle) to register their gun and be fingerprinted. Everyone refused to comply, the state government realized "fuck, we can't arrest and prosecute a few hundred thousand people".

[SpaghettiCarbonara]

Seriously considering moving to Europe right now...

[Real_PhillBert]

Yay freedom!... Oh wait...

[hmminteresting]

dats fucked up man 

[Trik'Stari]

-snip

I see your cartman, and raise you a barbrady

[SkilledRebuilds]

 

Seeya there Mates!

/Yeah.. not happy either with the way the world gets run.

 

So...their going to collect ALL..

Wouldn't you, if you were a International hacking/spy group, then target THIS new data... Seeing as the newspapers and tv just told us about its future existence.

Idiots. Nothing is unshakable and safe, especially if online methods to hack fail, and then there's inter-business espionage data theft from within.

Talk about creating a target, future liability & general WRONG feeling every Aussie/normal person wherever is feeling when they hear the news of this.

Whoever is in support of it, does NOT know enough tech knowledge to care about losing privacy. (Besides their phones)

[Jerakl]

Time to move to canada!

 

Hopefully their government doesn't become jackasses and start stalking peoples internet usage.

The governments pretty good right now IMO

[Ruostunut kokis]

So... Any Aussies moving out of their country? We got some space here (but our economy is complete sh*t)

[StingBull]

Tell me more about how people don't need guns and how the governments won't take over everything and put people in jail for "thought crime"

What you planning on fighting a war against the fucking army? Pwhahaha...

This is exactly why the world laughs at you America.

[Mooshi]

Congrats on living up to the ex-British pat convict heritage, Australian Government.

[archip]

Excellent post and I'm speechless

[aduman]

They were fucking you with taxes and prices already... and now this comes up. I really feel sorry for you guys...

[Trik'Stari]

What you planning on fighting a war against the fucking army? Pwhahaha...

This is exactly why the world laughs at you America.

Lets see, 60 million gun owners versus 1.3 million in the various armed services, most of whom are not combat trained or ready, and not willing to kill their own family members, so no, we wouldn't even have to fight because the army would already be on our side, as would the police.

 

Can you say "unwinnable insurgency"?

 

Not to mention the first thing we did together as a nation was kick the shit out of the most professional army of the current world super power, you know, the American Revolution?

 

Farmers with pitchforks can do a fuck load more than you expect. Maybe you people should wake up and stop being slaves to your own governments

[LAwLz]

Tell me more about how people don't need guns and how the governments won't take over everything and put people in jail for "thought crime"

I don't really see how owning guns would help against this. I mean, try attacking air drones with your hand gun... Or a tank. It won't work.

 

But yeah this is absolutely horrible.

[Trik'Stari]

I don't really see how owning guns would help against this. I mean, try attacking air drones with your hand gun... Or a tank. It won't work.

 

But yeah this is absolutely horrible.

Tank is easy, reloading powder plus basic plumbing supplies (tank doesn't do much good when it's treads are blown off) Not to mention, as I said earlier, most of the military would not be on the governments side if push came to shove (which I will say I hope it doesn't). They're already starting to get pissed off about the shit our government is doing. Also drones thermal vision can't see through dense vegetation.

 

Oh the joys of knowing people in the military lol.