Internet service provider iinet has warned of significant costs and privacy concerns with a mandatory data retention regime that is currently being considered by the federal government.Speaking at a Senate hearing into telecoms law reform in Canberra on Tuesday, the company’s chief regulatory officer Steve Dalby warned that consumers could face a hike in charges of more than $100 a year per person.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/29/data-plan-cost-consumers-100-a-year-iinetAlso see:Online piracy crackdown barks up the wrong tree
The Coalition’s discussion paper on curbing online piracy, which is yet to see the light of day, is the latest example of how rhetoric continues to trump common sense in this ongoing debate.Rather than play the role of an impartial arbiter and get all the relevant parties — content makers, rights holders, the internet service providers and consumer groups — to work together on a viable outcome, the government seems hell-bent on siding with the rights holders, even if that means the average citizen ends up paying the price.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/7/29/technology/online-piracy-crackdown-barks-wrong-tree