The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Telstra, more than 10 years ago, agreed to store electronic communications it transmitted between Asia and the U.S. in a secret agreement with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice. As of last Friday, Telstra did not disclose if it has had or currently has similar agreements with other intelligence agencies. Greens Sen. Scott Ludlam said the agreement was “an extraordinary breach of trust, invasion of privacy and erosion of Australia’s sovereignty.” Some telecommunications specialists, however, have said Telstra had no choice but to comply.
Full Story