Encryption laws needed to save lives: Australian spy boss

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-20 11:14:28|Editor: Li Xia
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CANBERRA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The head of Australia's top spy agency has dismissed concerns about proposed new encryption laws, saying they are necessary to stop terrorist attacks and save lives.

Duncan Lewis, the director-general of Security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), told a parliamentary committee on intelligence and security that a small number of people were using encrypted messages to conceal activity that posed a threat to Australians' safety.

Under proposed changes to the telecommunications (assistance and access) bill, police and security agencies will be able to access encrypted data on a suspect's device.

"I can confidently say there are suspected terrorists in Australia using encrypted communications and due to that encryption it is impossible for us at this time to intercept and read their communications, despite our existing range of lawful and legal access authorities," Lewis told the inquiry.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin and Department of Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo joined Lewis in dismissing the objections of telecommunications companies, device manufacturers and the Law Council of Australia, all of whom cited privacy concerns.

Joseph Cannataci, the United Nations' special rapporteur on the right to privacy, said in a submission that the legislation was "fatally flawed" and would "force tech companies to help spy on ­citizens."

Lewis said he was not opposed to encryption, describing it as a "positive" part of everyday life, but that it presented "potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capabilities in modern times, from our point of view."

"I remind you that ASIO ... have disrupted 14 terrorist attacks since 2014," he said.

"Our insights into around half of these investigations relied heavily on our ability to access the communications of would-be terrorists, but now, due to the diminishing capability and without the assistance of this legislation, ASIO cannot maintain this level of assurance in our ability to thwart attacks."

The Law Council of Australia said that the legal fraternity had "serious reservations" about whether the laws were necessary.

"The bill would authorise the exercise of intrusive covert powers with the potential to significantly limit an individual's right to privacy, freedom of expression and liberty," the council's President-elect Arthur Moses said.

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