Australia versus Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Alphabet in privacy test case
‘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’
Sydney — Four global tech giants — Facebook, Apple, Alphabet and Amazon — will oppose an Australian law that would require them to provide access to private encrypted data linked to suspected illegal activities, an industry lobby group said on Wednesday. Australia in August proposed fines of up to A$10m ($7.2m) for institutions and prison terms for individuals who do not comply with a court request to give authorities access to private data. The government has said the proposed law is needed given a heightened risk of terrorist attacks. Facebook, Alphabet, Apple and Amazon will jointly lobby lawmakers to amend the bill — seen as a test case as other nations explore similar laws — ahead of a parliamentary vote expected in a few weeks. “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,” said Lizzie O'Shea, a spokeswoman for the Alliance for a Safe and Secure Internet. She said the ...
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