PHONE and internet records of everyday Australians will be held for two years as the federal government fights the threat of homegrown terrorism.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s National Security Committee has signed off on controversial mandatory data retention laws, which spy agencies claim are “critical” to fighting terrorism.
The Daily Telegraph has confirmed the NSC, in a marathon meeting yesterday in Canberra, approved the laws to compel telecommunications and internet companies to keep customer data — namely metadata — for at least two years.
Metadata is background data recorded by devices such as phones, laptops and tablets. In the case of phones it could include the time and duration of a phone call but not the content.
It is believed the government will wait until a senate inquiry into intelligence and data collection reports in late August before a further meeting of NSC to approve a bill to take to parliament later this year. However, it is believed Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will work on an interim data retention measure, with industry, to be introduced as early as September to meet what spy agencies claim is an immediate need in the face of heightened fears of potential terrorist attacks on Australian soil.