Data Retention Act 2015 — Mandatory 2-Year Metadata Hoarding
institutionIntelligence & Surveillance
A 2015 law forced every Australian phone and internet company to keep a two-year record of who you contacted and where you were.
Who they are
The Data Retention Act 2015, an amendment to Australia's telecommunications interception law[1].
What they do
It requires telephone and internet providers to store a set list of 'who, when, where' data — not the content of your messages or your browsing — for two years.
How it works
It logs things like which IP addresses connected, your location, and call records; it cut warrantless access down to about 21 law-enforcement agencies (from 80-plus that used to authorize themselves); and it created 'Journalist Information Warrants' that let agencies secretly uncover a reporter's source.
Why it matters
The engine reads it as the government forcing private companies to build a massive surveillance archive on its behalf, with a special tool aimed at exposing journalists' sources.
The engine's record — word for word
TIA Act amendment forcing telcos/ISPs to retain a prescribed metadata set (source/destination IPs, location, call logs — NOT content or browsing) for two years; narrowed warrantless access to ~21 criminal-law-enforcement agencies (down from ~80+ self-authorising bodies); introduced 'Journalist Information Warrants' (agencies covertly identify a journalist's source without notifying them). Engine read: mandated a private-sector data-hoarding infrastructure for the state. [verified/corrected] [Australia surveillance-state harvest — Aug 17 2026]
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