The Australian government introduced a cybersecurity bill last year seeking to force tech companies worldwide to help law enforcers decrypt messages linked to suspected terrorists or criminals. Now, technology giants including Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, and Facebook have formed an alliance to lobby for amendments to that legislation.
Alliance for a Safe and Secure Internet, an industry lobby group, has confirmed the companies' participation in the effort with the goal of countering the Australian government's push to weaken encryption. The proposed law will require tech companies across the world that do business in Australia to provide a backdoor access to encrypted data in aid of police investigations.
Lizzie O’Shea, a spokesperson for the Alliance for a Safe and Secure Internet, said:
“Any kind of attempt by interception agencies, as they are called in the bill, to create tools to weaken encryption is a huge risk to our digital security."
The Australian Parliament is expected to cast its vote on the bill in the coming weeks and companies that refuse a court order for access to encrypted data will face up to AU$10 million ($7.2 million) in fines. Additionally, individuals that fail to comply with the law, once enforced, will face prison terms.
Australia's new measure is the latest in a string of global debates over whether governments should have access to private data as part of efforts to fight crime and terrorism. Meanwhile, tech companies continue to deny that access as they try to protect customers' data. It now remains to be seen how the proposed bill down under will affect the data privacy landscape.
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