Could this be a threat to open source software? If they require developers to insert backdoors to decrypt data, and the company uses open source software for security, how do we know they won’t attempt to weaken it? Most open source projects don’t have the resources or manpower to review every commit, especially when the person submitting is prevented from disclosing their true purpose and under threat from their government. This could be a threat to companies all around the world that use OSS.
Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
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Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#22If you're wondering why this kind of thing happens all the time in Australia, the late Donald Horne summed it up beautifully in the 1960s:
"Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck" [1]
Australia has many intelligent, brilliant people. For some reason, the design of our political system results in almost none of them getting into Government. This awful, fundamentally flawed law (literally only passed into law because our opposition was terrified of being called "soft on crime" in the media over Christmas) is just one in a long line of disappointments.
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#23Could this be a threat to open source software? If they require developers to insert backdoors to decrypt data, and the company uses open source software for security, how do we know they won’t attempt to weaken it? Most open source projects don’t have the resources or manpower to review every commit, especially when the person submitting is prevented from disclosing their true purpose and under threat from their gov…
This threat to free and open source software isn't new. Governments have been trying to sneak vulnerabilities for a long time now.
What is new is an army of people who will now be forced to make a choice between making and submitting destructive patches and facing penalties and jail.
Incidentally, all of these people are the ones who are subject to Australian law. I feel sorry for them, but I expect that, as an effect of this legislation, many people will stop accepting submissions from these people to keep their software secure - be it proprietary programs or free software.
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#24As an Australian Dev living in the U.K. this is absolutely terrifying. I'm compelled to somehow deploy a backdoor at whatever company I'm working for if they have a single Australian user on threat of jail time???
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#25So in short, don't hire Australian employees because they may be compelled to spy on my business by their government.
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#26[deleted]
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#27Isn't this the exact thing that China has in law that is causing everyone to dump Huawei over?
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#28This legislation has support from both major parties, it's set to pass either this week or next. I don't know why Google, Facebook, Tesla, Microsoft, Atlassian and other big tech companies with investments in Australia don't push back. Nothing pressures Australian politicians more than an advertising campaign. The mineral resources industry spent just $8m on advertising to prevent a new mining tax that would have cos…
The legislation has already passed both houses, and is headed for Royal Assent. They'd need to repeal it, and given that Labor unanimously voted for it, I have no doubt it's never going to be repealed.
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#29This legislation has support from both major parties, it's set to pass either this week or next. I don't know why Google, Facebook, Tesla, Microsoft, Atlassian and other big tech companies with investments in Australia don't push back. Nothing pressures Australian politicians more than an advertising campaign. The mineral resources industry spent just $8m on advertising to prevent a new mining tax that would have cos…
It passed earlier today, it's law now.
It's not law until it gets Royal Assent, but yes it's passed both houses and will be law very shortly.
Re: Commandeering Australian citizens to become spies
#30Isn't this the exact thing that China has in law that is causing everyone to dump Huawei over?
This is probably the reason they want to dump Huawei.
Much easier to subvert technology produced locally or in allied countries (and the other Five Eyes members will undoubtedly adopt similar laws soon, if they haven't already).