Australian data retention plan useful for security but could threaten privacy: parliamentary committee; shelves plans to store phone, Internet metadata

A federal parliamentary committee has issued a critical report on Government plans to store data on Australians’ phone and internet use for up to two years.The powerful Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security was asked to consider an extensive package of proposed changes to Australia’s national security laws and agencies.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-24/committee-reports-data-retention-plan/4777008Also see:Australia shelves plans to store phone, Internet metadata
Australia’s government on Monday shelved plans to force phone and Internet companies to hold two years of phone call and email data following concerns raised by a parliamentary inquiry into telecommunications interception laws.The move follows long-running criticism by privacy advocates in Australia, and comes in the aftermath of revelations in the United States, where spy agency contractor Edward Snowden exposed secret U.S. surveillance of vast amounts of Internet data under a programe known as Prism.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/06/24/australia-security-metadata-idINDEE95N07N20130624Australian government shelves data retention plans
Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has said that the government will not pursue a proposal to require internet service providers (ISPs) to retain customer data for up to two years.The parliamentary committee investigating the data retention proposal and a number of other proposed legislative changes to telecommunications and national security legislation today issued its report, and put the decision on whether to progress with a mandatory data retention scheme back on the government.
http://www.zdnet.com/au/australian-government-shelves-data-retention-plans-7000017183/