Now, intelligence to keep watch on Australian citizens online personal data

Sydney, July 12 (ANI): The telephone and internet information of every Australian will be retained for up to two years, and intelligence agencies would be given access to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, a new proposal from Australia's intelligence has revealed.

According to The Age, the proposal released by the Attorney General's office, if passed, would be the most significant expansion of the powers of Australian intelligence.

Attorney General Nicola Roxon, who has asked the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence security to review them, released the proposals as part of an announcement.

"'It will be one of the most controversial inquiries the committee has ever held," a government official said.

The proposal outlines changes to various acts that govern Australia's six intelligence agencies, including ASIO, ASIS and the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD).

Civil liberties groups and some politicians, however, have said the proposal, if passed, will hinder the privacy of citizens' online.

Under a proposed change, officers from Australia's foreign intelligence services, ASIS and the DSD, would be allowed to monitor Australian citizens overseas if an ASIO officer was not available. (ANI)