The government has backed down on a push to remove reporting obligations for access to Australians’ phone and web data just weeks after proposing a bill to abolish mandatory reporting by telecommunications companies.Currently telcos are obliged to report to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) on the number of times they were asked by government agencies for users’ metadata. Guardian Australia reported that the government moved to abolish that obligation on “repeal day” last month in a legislative red tape reduction exercise.
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/nov/07/metadata-reporting-obligations-stay-as-malcolm-turnbull-backs-status-quo