EFF.ORG: Data Retention Law Passes in Australia, but the Fight Isn’t Over

Mandatory data retention legislation is never a good idea, which is why EFF has vigorously opposed it in the United States, where Congress tried and failed to pass it in 2009. That year, two ill-conceived bills would have required all Internet providers and operators of Wi-Fi access points to keep records on Internet users for at least two years to assist police investigations. Nevertheless, governments around the world, individually, and in concert, continue to argue that the stockpiling of the private, personal data of entire populations become a global norm. It's a constant battle, but one with some clear victories, most notably in the European Union, and most recently in Paraguay. The latest setback in the global fight against data retention has been in Australia, which, despite widespread opposition from journalists,activists and the general public, passed a comprehensive data retention bill this month.

Read on at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/04/data-retention-law-passes-australia-fight-isnt-over