Australian government reveals mandatory data retention plans

The Australian government has announced plans to introduce mandatory data retention, forcing telecommunications companies to hang on to certain customer data for up to 2 years.

The plans were leaked ahead of a press conference, in which Prime Minister Tony Abbott said they would help in the fight against terrorism. The Liberal-led coalition government said it would “update Australia’s telecommunication interception law which predates the Internet era and is increasingly ineffective,” as well as introduce “proper oversight” to protect Australians’ privacy rights.