With two recent incidents in which the law menaced documentary filmmakers, new laws passed by the Senate Friday are even more alarming. They give law enforcement agencies power to intercept phone calls, emails and text messages of innocent people. This extreme surveillance law poses a severe threat to press freedom – journalists can assume their conversations with sources will be intercepted at any time.
Spies, police and other security agencies will be able to use B-party warrants to tap phones belonging to a suspect’s family, friends, colleagues and lawyer. Other agencies, such as the Australian Tax Office, Customs, and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), will have the power to access stored communications such as email and SMS.
