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> The breach so shocked the government, the then attorney general, George Brandis, quickly announced plans to criminalise the act of re-identifying previously d

> The breach so shocked the government, the then attorney general, George Brandis, quickly announced plans to criminalise the act of re-identifying previously de-identified data, although ultimately the legislation never passed before the 2019 election. If Australia makes it illegal to re-identify information, what about information that has been re-identified outside Australia then distributed into Australia?

rs23296008n1 7y ago
If you're going to start using logic and reason with this issue then that government will simply outlaw those as well. This government has already set a precedent of having overridden the basic limits of mathematics before. See also: anything to do with encryption.
- Tecuane 7y ago
  Relevant article, for the curious: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/malcolm-turnbull-prime-minister-laws-of-mathematics-do-not-apply-australia-encryption-l-a7842946.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/malcolm-turnbull-prime-mi...
  - incompatible 7y ago
    Former prime minister. His mathematics quote was a worded a bit strangely, but I think he was basically saying https://www.xkcd.com/538/ https://www.xkcd.com/538/
    - brokenmachine 7y ago
      No, he was literally saying that he didn't care about reality. He was a lawyer, so would be quite aware of the meaning of the words he was uttering.
      - incompatible 7y ago
        I doubt that he imagined that he could write a law that would force the encryption algorithms to yield to the ASIO. It was all about using a big stick to force people to help break encryption, by inserting back doors etc. Sure he was a lawyer and banker and probably never should have been involved with things like encryption and the NBN, but that's politics for you.
shakna 7y ago
> If Australia makes it illegal to re-identify information, what about information that has been re-identified outside Australia then distributed into Australia? The letter sent to the university [0], claims that re-identifying information is actually illegal, according to the department's understanding. (Nevermind that they also admit that particular law is completely irrelevant to the work of the researcher). [0] https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/correspondence_on_re_identificat#incoming-16930 https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/correspondence_on_re_...
- tastroder 7y ago
  Fascinating read, thank you. Another kicker in there seems to be bottom of page 2, start of page 3. They basically assert that now that the data has been taken down no harm can be done anymore and to top it off, suggest that presenting the findings a GovData conference because there subsequently is "no public interest" anymore.
Aeolun 7y ago
This sounds so much like a ‘stick my head in the sand’ policy that it’s unreal. Who the hell would stop doing it because it’s illegal...
dathinab 7y ago
You don't have to go that far. Anyone wanting to abuse the information (i.e. a criminal) would not really care to commit a crime by reidentifying so this law would only prevent people who want to help from doing so. In the end the are always intelligent criminals (or foreign countries acting against your country for their interest). So you will always be able to buy deanonymized data on the black market. Even more the people doing it for that reason can include leaked/stolen datasets to do deanonymization invested if just public data making it potentially much easier.
- throwawayjava 7y ago
  Consumer data brokers are a legal (non-criminal) business and they would definitely reidentify then well information if it weren't illegal.

rs23296008n1 7y ago

If you're going to start using logic and reason with this issue then that government will simply outlaw those as well. This government has already set a precedent of having overridden the basic limits of mathematics before. See also: anything to do with encryption.

Tecuane 7y ago
Relevant article, for the curious: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/malcolm-turnbull-prime-minister-laws-of-mathematics-do-not-apply-australia-encryption-l-a7842946.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/malcolm-turnbull-prime-mi...
- incompatible 7y ago
  Former prime minister. His mathematics quote was a worded a bit strangely, but I think he was basically saying https://www.xkcd.com/538/ https://www.xkcd.com/538/
  - brokenmachine 7y ago
    No, he was literally saying that he didn't care about reality. He was a lawyer, so would be quite aware of the meaning of the words he was uttering.
    - incompatible 7y ago
      I doubt that he imagined that he could write a law that would force the encryption algorithms to yield to the ASIO. It was all about using a big stick to force people to help break encryption, by inserting back doors etc. Sure he was a lawyer and banker and probably never should have been involved with things like encryption and the NBN, but that's politics for you.

shakna 7y ago

> If Australia makes it illegal to re-identify information, what about information that has been re-identified outside Australia then distributed into Australia? The letter sent to the university [0], claims that re-identifying information is actually illegal, according to the department's understanding. (Nevermind that they also admit that particular law is completely irrelevant to the work of the researcher). [0] https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/correspondence_on_re_identificat#incoming-16930 https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/correspondence_on_re_...

tastroder 7y ago
Fascinating read, thank you. Another kicker in there seems to be bottom of page 2, start of page 3. They basically assert that now that the data has been taken down no harm can be done anymore and to top it off, suggest that presenting the findings a GovData conference because there subsequently is "no public interest" anymore.

Aeolun 7y ago

This sounds so much like a ‘stick my head in the sand’ policy that it’s unreal. Who the hell would stop doing it because it’s illegal...

dathinab 7y ago

You don't have to go that far. Anyone wanting to abuse the information (i.e. a criminal) would not really care to commit a crime by reidentifying so this law would only prevent people who want to help from doing so. In the end the are always intelligent criminals (or foreign countries acting against your country for their interest). So you will always be able to buy deanonymized data on the black market. Even more the people doing it for that reason can include leaked/stolen datasets to do deanonymization invested if just public data making it potentially much easier.

throwawayjava 7y ago
Consumer data brokers are a legal (non-criminal) business and they would definitely reidentify then well information if it weren't illegal.