back to article Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull hints at surveillance expansion

Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has hinted that the expansion of the nation's facial recognition databases could include private sector access. Turnbull's statement came almost as an aside, under questioning by Sabra Lane on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's AM public affairs program. Lane quizzed the PM on …

  1. GrumpyKiwi
    Holmes

    I don't know why you are worried about the police having access to this. They are well known as the finest force money can buy.

  2. OffBeatMammal

    while we're at it, why don't we simply roll all the State licensing bodies into one... standardize the driving tests, road rules, and licensing. Would reduce a lot of duplicated effort and frustration. Today we live in a country where it's possibly to communicate from corner to corner at speeds no-one would have believed when the original systems were put in place so the need for these duplicate, similar, but not quite the same, systems is now only historical

    1. TReko
      WTF?

      States still have a use

      the State system keeps thousands of bureaucrats and politicians "employed" and helps relieve you of your excess wealth via state taxes.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: States still have a use

        Indeed. State Governments have long been the "employer of last resort" seemingly tasked with keeping the unemployment rate down. In QLD Campbell Newman (an arsehole to be sure) removed 25,000 State Government employees from an arguably grossly overweight (metaphorically though it seems increasingly physically) public service. Since that time the current Labour Government has employed that number back and then some. That'll be money well spent and explain why unemployment has tracked so nicely. In one quarter alone within the last 12 months they took on over 3,000 people. Madness.

  3. Winkypop Silver badge
    Big Brother

    Dubious timing

    No doubt this little nugget of shit masquerading as 'anti-terror' BS has been deliberately released during the media-storm over Las Vegas.

    Asshats.

  4. infidelophile69

    Facial recognition

    Facial recognition will only be effective if you can see the face, so for this to work the first part of any legislation must be the banning of any face covering.

    1. Woza
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Facial recognition

      I sense a new market in Malcolm Turnbull masks.

  5. JJKing
    Black Helicopters

    Time to increase my anti surveillance stockpile.

    Remember when the metadata retention was going to be required to be retained for 2 years and only authorised people could access it? Then the list of authorised became known. Local councils, RSPCA, Vic Racing Club; sort of like everyone and their dog. I notice turnbullshit mentioned "national security" in an interview when commenting on the Las Vegas shooting.

    It's just more and more less privacy for the citizens and more and more government intrusion all in the cause of keeping us safe from terrorism. It must be working because we have been saved from thousands of terrorist attacks in Oz so far.

    One wanker goes stupid in a car in the Melbourne CBD and suddenly there are concrete road dividers placed in secret locations to keep us safe. Those who died in Bourke St would still be alive if the cops following the mental wanker had boxed him in when he was blocked at a red light a few minutes earlier. If that had happened then what lame excuse would they have used to deploy their concrete toys.

    Our World War II heroes must be wondering what they fought, suffered and died for now. Oh yes, since malcolm hasn't invested in any Australia optic fibre ISPs (just overseas ones), has he made any investment in bollard manufacturers or other security type businesses. Can't see any reason to make people safe from practically non-existent threats to our safety. Can you?

  6. FozzyBear
    WTF?

    Dear Malcolm,

    I had chance to review a recent interview you conducted on the ABC program. There are many points I need to make in response to a number of your comments. I shall be as pointedly eloquent as I can.

    1. YOU DUMBASS STUPID Mo&^$%F(*!@#. GET YOUR GREEDY TWO BIT MEDIA WHORE FINGERS OUT OF MY PERSONAL LIFE.

    2. STOP F)(*#*& GETTING YOUR IDEAS OFF TV SHOWS (person of interest)

    3. YOU STUPID W*&^#$ Do you have any filters between your Brain and mouth.

    4. Seriously Just F*&K OFF, you slack jawed Imbecile.

    It took a great deal of restraint to not post what I really thought.

    1. TReko

      Given that Malcolm intends to make it a terrorist offence to make terrorism “hoaxes”, perhaps Australians should question if our politicians & bureaucrats will be subject to the same law.

  7. Magani
    WTF?

    Mission creep?

    What mission creep??

    1. Pompous Git Silver badge

      Re: Mission creep?

      The creeps are definitely on a mission.

  8. mathew42

    In related news SAPOL have been given live access to Adelaide Oval cameras. This has been labelled an anti-terror measure. Reportedly there are 400 cameras in the grounds.

    If you are visiting for the Ashes, please remember to smile for the cameras.

  9. Dagg Silver badge
    Black Helicopters

    Be afraid, very afraid

    I was wondering why the government wanted photos of a million or more innocent Australians instead of focusing on those who may be terrorists. Then I remembered the last census where you had to provide your name and address.

    Combining the licence photos with the census details will now allow the government to put a face to all Jews, Atheists, Muslims etc.

  10. Paul 129

    Lets flip this on its face.

    Facial recognition is everywhere, facebook, google, phones etc. Coles and woolies probably has a good collection. If the government, collects this information and makes it available to 3rd parties, for a price then the setup should be a revenue source, and every man and his dog should be able to send in a photo and ask if it is indeed Joe Blogs of xxx address yes/no, get more identification.

    Useful for lots of businesses. Yes it is a privacy issue, but genie cant be put back in the bottle on this one, so lets try and make use of it.

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