Always wonderful to hear news of the government’s plans to further decimate whatever thin shreds of privacy legislation we have left in order to ‘fight terrorism’. 

Today, Malcolm Turnbull announced plans to move ahead with laws that will force internet and social media giants like Facebook and Google to hand over encrypted messages from suspected terrorists and other criminals – legislation which would be similar to Britain‘s Investigatory Powers Act.
Attorney General George Brandis says that encryption is the “greatest degradation of intelligence and law enforcement capability” in a lifetime, and the government believes this kind of legislation is the only way to address it.
Turnbull says the UK’s chief cryptographer told him the idea is feasible. Then he went on to say… something quite odd, which is copping a bit of a roasting:
We cannot allow the internet to be used as a place for terrorists and child molesters and people who peddle child pornography, and drug traffickers to hide in the dark.

The laws of mathematics are very commendable but the only laws that apply in Australia is the law of Australia.

He said that in response to a question from ZDNet‘s Asha McLean, who asked whether the laws of mathematics – as they pertain to encryption – might take a little bit of precedence over what Turnbull is trying to do with the law.

Great, great stuff. We’re fucked.
Source: ZDNet.
Photo: Getty Images.