Systematic government access to private-sector data in Australia

Abstract

This study of systematic government access to private-sector data in Australia suggests that, while the Australian government has a range of powers to obtain such data, those powers appear primarily aimed at obtaining specific data for specific purposes. † Little was found by way of direct unmediated access by the government to private-sector data or government access to private-sector data in bulk. † However, recent initiatives suggest that, in a not too distant future, Australian law may well cater for extensive, not to say excesive, systematic government access to private-sector data.