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Australia is becoming a surveillance state

ia.acs.org.au

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Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#21

Post by jjgreen »

_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

I think we're going too far to accomodate those who won't get vaccinated. If everyone gets it, this scanning wouldn't be necessary.

How do you force everyone to get it without the apparatus of the police state?

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#22

Post by Benjamin_Dobell »

kylehotchkiss wrote: post #3

What real/perceived security risk is AU dealing with to justify all these legal changes? They seem relatively isolated from many of the threats facing the US/EU west regarding terrorism/extremism. Borders in AU are pretty naturally secured by oceans.

These laws aren't for Australia, they're simply implemented here because we're an easy target (no bill of rights)[1]. The Five Eyes simply want to use Australia to funnel access requests through.

> We, the Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, stand united in our commitment to protect our citizens from child predators, terrorists, violent extremists and other illicit actors. We are as determined to counter these threats online as we are to counter them in the physical world. We note with disappointment that senior digital industry leaders did not accept our invitation to engage on critical issues regarding the illicit use of online spaces at the 2018 Five Country Ministerial meeting. Nevertheless, we reiterate our determination to work together constructively to ensure our response is commensurate to the gravity of the threat. Our citizens expect online spaces to be safe, and are gravely concerned about illegal and illicit online content, particularly the online sexual exploitation of children. We stand united in affirming that the rule of law can and must prevail online. [2]

This was a joint statement made by the Department of Home Affairs around the time Assistance and Access Bill 2018 was being pushed through.

[1] https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australia-setting-itself-up-a...

[2] https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/natio...

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#23

Post by agilob »

jjgreen wrote: post #21
_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

I think we're going too far to accomodate those who won't get vaccinated. If everyone gets it, this scanning wouldn't be necessary. How do you force everyone to get it without the apparatus of the police state?

>How do you force everyone to get it without the apparatus of the police state?

Develop a more deadly virus?

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#25

Post by djbebs »

_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

You identified the problem, but confused the solution.

Simply don't have police state totalitarian mandates.

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#26

Post by aplummer »

Mountain_Skies wrote: post #17
hexa22 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are far bigger issues in Australia right now to care about meta data logging. Climate change and now the vaccine delay consume all of the publics attention. Metadata logging is a theoretical issue while the lack of vaccine supplies is a very real and immediate issue.

Multitasking isn't something new.

In Australia it is, when the horses race the nation stops

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#27

Post by b3n »

_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

> and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant

How does this work for those who don't own a smartphone?

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#28

Post by Accacin »

b3n wrote: post #27
_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

> and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant How does this work for those who don't own a smartphone?

Here in the UK you do not need to scan, you can just write down your phone number and name. It's a legal requirement for the information to be accurate though, I think.

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#29

Post by _abox »

jjgreen wrote: post #21
_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

I think we're going too far to accomodate those who won't get vaccinated. If everyone gets it, this scanning wouldn't be necessary. How do you force everyone to get it without the apparatus of the police state?

These vaccination records are there already anyway, in Europe most countries have a national health system that knows exactly who has it and who doesn't.

But it's not as bad as a detailed step by step log of every person's activities every day.

Also, I think some level of noncompliance should be accepted. The vaccines don't work 100% anyway, these are just a few more percent. The number of people opposed to vaccination in Europe is very low compared to the US. The vaccination rate will be more than high enough for decent protection.

We're never going to reduce the risk of covid to zero for an individual. Just like we're never going to reduce the risk of dying from cancer to zero. Some risk just has to be accepted as a fact of life.

Re: Australia is becoming a surveillance state

#30

Post by mandmandam »

_abox wrote: post #18

Unfortunately we're all becoming surveillance states :( So many European countries are now requiring people to ID themselves and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant, every public transport journey. All combining to a detailed digital record of who has been where. Under the guise of protecting against COVID but who says this will disappear once the pandemic is over? I think we're going too far to acc…

> I think we're going too far to accomodate those who won't get vaccinated. If everyone gets it, this scanning wouldn't be necessary

If every last man woman and child on the planet get vaccinated; if every mouse, cat, dog, ferret, pig, monkey and deer get vaccinated too, the potential for a breakout vaccine resistant infection is still there.

Also, there is still virtually zero talk of implementing vaccine exemptions for people with naturally acquired immunity, which seems superior in every way.

So, this isn't about "accommodating" the non vaccinated. It's not about safety, or science. It seems to be completely about control, complete control.

My country hasn't hired more nurses, built more ICU beds, legislated for or supported better air circulation indoors, or subsidised antigen testing - but they have implemented a vaccine passport for cafes and restaurants, against the advice of our council on civil liberties, our data privacy chief, and the WHO covid envoy. We're told it's a temporary measure, and I have no doubt that it will be as "temporary" as the Patriot Act.

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