Australian Police Given Power To Use Spyware

reek writes "An Australian newspaper has reported> that the contentious Surveillance Devices Act has been passed. The act will (according to the article) allow Federal Police to obtain warrants to secretly install spyware onto users computers enabling them to "monitor email, online chats, word processor and spreadsheets entries and even bank personal identification numbers and passwords.""

Only in ...

[Anonymous Coward]

America .... Ooops

Whats are the Australians trying to do Give America ideas ?

Quick someone stop them

Your Honor....

[Moonlapse]

We caught the defendant logging into marsupialsgonewild.com.....

Linux switch...

[PincheGab]

Now this more that anything else will persuade many "normal" (ie, non-tech nerds)) people to switch to Linux...

One cannot trust a closed-source anti-government_spyware program working an a closed-source O/S, but the same perogram implemented as open source running on an open-source O/S? Yeah, much better.

Couldn't this be accomplished...

[golfhakker]

by installing Google Desktop http://desktop.google.com/ [google.com]?

Buy Alcoa stock now!

[beef curtains]

I get the feeling that Reynolds Wrap sales are going to skyrocket in Australia.

I wonder how those "Crocodile Dundee"-style hats would look when covered with tinfoil....

Re:Great...

[Thud457]

• You bleeding heart liberal.
• If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.
• Our law enforcement agents aren't fallible and human, they're angelic supermen invulnerable to temptation.
• This will only be used against BAD PEOPLE (You know they're bad because we told you they are).
• Why do you hate Amer^H^H^H Austrailia?!!!

Re:Only in ...

[khromatikos]

But I thought the 51st state was the maple leaf state.

Coming to a Court Room near you...

[feloneous cat]

"Yer honor he was using Windows and..."

"That's enough for me! I sentence you to life!"

Re:A Good Thing?

[Le Marteau]

If I forget my passphrase, no matter how pissed the cops ge, it doesn't really make a difference.

I hope you can still say that when your cellmate starts referring to you as 'Shirley'.

Re:What's wrong with the UK and Australia?

[FrostedWheat]

the banning ceremonial swords and toy guns

Ceremonial swords I don't understand, but toy guns I agree with completly. They are horrible things and I for one would be glad to see a lot less of them.

Re:Simple way to work around this

[taustin]

I think you're on to something. Obviously, using Linux will be a sign of criminal intent, so anyone who uses Linux would be a criminal.

And thus, Microsoft will conquer the world.