Sydney Tuesday February 12, 2019

Tech giants fight federal encryption bill

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Tech giants have thrown their support behind a submission to limit the Federal Government’s controversial encryption bill which they say will “cannibalise” the industry’s growth.

Hannah Higgins

Tuesday February 12, 2019

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StartupAUS, a peak industry body for startups, made a four-page submission to parliament today, outlining urgent changes it says need to be made to the bill, which passed the Senate in December last year with Labor support.

Software giant Atlassian, graphic design tool Canva and venture capital firm AirTree have all thrown their weight behind the call for change.

The bill, which was designed to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies easier access to encrypted communications used by terrorists and criminals, will force tech companies to help authorities snoop on those messages.

StartupAUS says the legislation is “bitterly disappointing”.

“The Act grants the government globally unprecedented power to involve itself in the operations of technology companies, has a wide scope with little oversight, and has created a harmful perception of Australian technology to customers overseas,” chief executive Alex McCauley wrote in the submission.

Four key recommendations were made by the industry body in relation to the bill – including asking for a review to ensure the laws are not used inappropriately.

“We need to ensure every effort is made so that international confidence in the Australian technology sector is not undermined by new legislation,” Canva chief operating officer Cliff Obrech said in a statement.

“We welcome a formal consultation to amend the Act so it is practical for our burgeoning tech industry, without cannibalising on our efforts to innovate.”

– AAP