INDUSTRY WELCOMES PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ENCRYPTION LEGISLATION

Sydney, 4 December 2019: Communications Alliance has welcomed the proposed amendments to the TOLA (Assistance and Access) Act 2018, introduced to the Senate today by Senator Kristina Kenneally.

The proposed amendments will bring a degree of judicial oversight to the issuing of technical assistance notices and technical capability notices by Government agencies to communications providers – something that industry and civil society have been pressing for since the original laws were rushed through Parliament in December 2018.

Communications Alliance also welcomed the legislative proposal to make less open-ended the actions that can be requested of service providers

“Installing improved oversight provisions into the legislation will not fix all its problems, but hopefully will begin to instil greater confidence, at home and abroad, in the security of Australian networks and systems – a step that can only help the domestic IT industry and its export prospects“, said Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton.

“We hope that the separate review of the legislation underway by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) will generate further improvements to the legislation.”

ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE Communications Alliance is the primary communications industry body in Australia. Its membership is drawn from a wide cross-section of the communications industry, including carriers, carriage and internet service providers, content providers, platform providers, equipment vendors, IT companies, consultants and business groups.

Its vision is to be the most influential association in Australian communications, co-operatively initiating programs that promote sustainable industry development, innovation and growth, while generating positive outcomes for customers and society.  

The prime mission of Communications Alliance is to create a co-operative stakeholder environment that allows the industry to take the lead on initiatives which grow the Australian communications industry, enhance the connectivity of all Australians and foster the highest standards of business behaviour.  For more details about Communications Alliance, see www.commsalliance.com.au.

Media information contact:
info@commsalliance.com.au