Spying shock: Shades of Big Brother as cyber-security vision comes to light, Daily Telegraph

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/spying-shock-shades-of-big-brother-as-cybersecurity-vision-comes-to-light/news-story/bc02f35f23fa104b139160906f2ae709

Federal police raid home of Australian journalist who revealed government's proposal to spy on the public

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/federal-police-raid-home-of-australian-journalist-who-revealed-governments-plan-to-spy-on-the-public-2019-6

Australian journalist's home raided over spying report

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48511217

Aussie Feds Raid News Corp Journalist's Home After Government Spying Exposé

https://stocktalkjournal.com/aussie-feds-raid-news-corp-journalists-home-after-government-spying-expos/

• • *

Excerpt:

The raid follows a story published by News Corp Australia publication, the Daily Telegraph, and written by national political editor, Annika Smethurst, in April 2018. The article, titled “Spying shock: Shades of Big Brother as cyber-security vision comes to light”, detailed a discussion between two government agencies that were reportedly discussing the potential for new surveillance powers for Australia’s electronic spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).

The Daily Telegraph article included photographs of top secret internal documents that detailed a proposal to allow the ASD to target Australians — if approved by the Defence and Home Affairs ministers.

An anonymous source told the publication the proposal would allow spies to access the digital records of Australians, such as financial transactions, health data and phone records, without a warrant.

The proposal also detailed a plan to grant authorities the ability to forcibly coerce government agencies and private businesses to comply with an order to provide information on Australian citizens, the Telegraph reported.

It would also allow for the ASD’s hackers to “proactively disrupt and covertly remove” cyber threats within Australia by “hacking into critical ­infrastructure”, it said. The organisation is currently focused on international threats.

Under Australian law, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) can spy on Australians but they must have obtained a warrant issued by the Attorney-General. The warrant allows ASIO to enter and search premises, intercept and inspect mail, use surveillance devices, monitor communications and remotely access computers. It is expected to use other methods before using these powers.

… Moar at links …

Note that AUS Intel agencies did not need to out-source spying on AUS citizens in Australia. So what might have been the exchange made to get them to spy on USA citizens abroad?

One possible angle, Anons:

Former Daily Telegraph journalist 'spied for Communist Russia'

Independent, 25 FEB 2018

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/daily-telegraph-communist-spy-journalist-david-floyd-pink-secret-files-cold-war-kgb-jeremy-corbyn-a8227861.html

Infiltration → Embarrassment → ongoing infestation → blackmail

>>6669004

Federal police raid home of Australian journalist who revealed government's proposal to spy on the public

JENNI RYALL, BUSINESS INSIDER JUN 4, 2019 (few hours ago)

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/federal-police-raid-home-of-australian-journalist-who-revealed-governments-plan-to-spy-on-the-public-2019-6

>>6668949

Expect UK will have been infiltrated longtime. Double agents embedded across allies intel agencies. Too convenient. Will this embarrassment/ vulnerability be revealed and lead to moar exposure? Or will it be offered as an "excuse"?

>>6669004

Quote:

Ms Smethurst, the national politics editor of the Sunday Telegraph and other News Corp Australia titles, reported last April that Australia's Home and Defence ministries were discussing a proposal that would grant new powers to the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), a cyber intelligence agency.

She wrote that under the plan, emails, bank records and text messages of Australians could be accessed by the ASD if the two ministries gave their approval. Currently, the ASD is not allowed to spy on Australians, though the domestic spy agency, ASIO, can investigate citizens with a warrant.

Ms Smethurst's report included images from a top secret document.

At the time, the two ministries and the ASD released a joint statement saying: "There is no proposal to increase the ASD's powers to collect intelligence on Australians or to covertly access their private data."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48511217

>>6669103

Quote

Smethurst’s article revealed that the emails, bank accounts and text messages of Australian citizens could be secretly accessed by government spies without a trace under the proposal, as long as the Defense and Home Affairs ministers approved the plan.

The raid comes three weeks after the federal election returned the Morrison government to power, leaving Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton at the helm.

Current Australian law prohibits the ASD from spying on citizens – a power left to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the country’s domestic spy agency.

Smethhurt revealed that Dutton and former Defense Minister Marise Payne had reviewed the proposal, however it had not moved beyond that stage to be formally presented to the government.

https://stocktalkjournal.com/aussie-feds-raid-news-corp-journalists-home-after-government-spying-expos/

>>6669117

Quote:

“This raid demonstrates a dangerous act of intimidation towards those committed to telling uncomfortable truths. The raid was outrageous and heavy handed.

“News Corp Australia has expressed the most serious concerns about the willingness of governments to undermine the Australian public’s right to know about important decisions governments are making that can and will impact ordinary Australian citizens.

“What’s gone on this morning sends clear and dangerous signals to journalists and newsrooms across Australia. This will chill public interest reporting.”

NGO Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) told Business Insider Australia via email that the police raid was “authoritarian intimidation” and that we are all entitled to live in a free society without fear of bullying by police.

“We need to have a debate about Australians’ rights to privacy and security, and it needs to be held out in the open with the participation of civil society,” a spokesperson for EFA said.

“Exposing the government’s secret plans for yet more surveillance of our everyday lives is clearly in the public interest. This heavy-handed reaction from the government, and so soon after being returned to government after an expected loss, indicates that this is about consolidating power, not keeping us safe. That should scare anyone who wants Australia to be a free society.”

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/federal-police-raid-home-of-australian-journalist-who-revealed-governments-plan-to-spy-on-the-public-2019-6

See

>>6669004

from general Q Research bread.

Raid on Reporter who wrote expose on plans for spying on AUS citizens. Sauces listed in that post.

Also: AUS Anons kept track of intel infiltrations past few years? Scanals related? Cross-over between intel com and party political reps? (Like ex-CIA running for office in USA). Trends?