[JURIST] Australia’s Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Act 2015 [text], data retention laws requiring companies to keep records and information, went into effect on Tuesday. The law requires telecommunications providers to maintain records of acount holders, sources of communications, destinations of communications, date and time of communications, and types of communications sent. A study among telecommunication providers in the country found [Sydney Morning Herald report] that only 16 percent of these companies are prepared to begin storing data as required by the law. About 80 percent of the providers are exercising an option to take 18 months to fully comply as long as an implementation plan has been submitted.

Online privacy has become a matter of increasing concern around the world in recent years amidst the Snowden controversy. Earlier this month, California signed into effect [JURIST report] a law that many are touting as a substantial step forward for digital privacy and protecting users’ rights. Also in October the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled [JURIST report] that EU user data transferred to the US by various technology companies is not sufficiently protected. In June the Belgian Privacy Commission sued Facebook for alleged violations [JURIST report] of Belgian and European privacy laws. In March 92 non-governmental organizations from around the world issued a statement [JURIST report] calling on the UN Human Rights Council to institute a Special Rapporteur on Privacy. Also in June the District Court of The Hague struck down [JURIST report] a Dutch data retention law, holding that it violates privacy rights of EU citizens. In July 2014 former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed concern [JURIST report] over the widespread lack of transparency in governmental digital surveillance practices.