Telcos hand over data on thousands of Aussies

Police are collecting the mobile phone data of thousands of innocent Australians in their bid to track down criminals, according to media reports.

Both federal and state police are ordering telecommunication companies to handover personal information of phone users in a technique known as a "tower dump", which provides data detailing the identity, activity and location of any phone that connects to a chosen cell tower in a given period of time, Fairfax Media reports.

It quotes sources saying Australian law-enforcement agencies are using the technique – which requires no warrant – during investigations where there are few leads.

A tower dump often covers multiple towers and provides helpful information to police, but privacy advocates have questioned the collecting of data from innocent people.

"On occasion mobile network operators receive requests from Australian law-enforcement agencies to provide communications information from a specific tower," a Vodafone spokeswoman told Fairfax.

"These requests usually cover short periods and the information provided is only metadata."

Telstra and Optus would not confirm if they provided tower dumps but said they offered assistance to police when it was requested and appropriate under legislation.

Federal and state police agencies declined to comment.

Greens Party spokesman for communications Scott Ludlam called on more transparency to the data collecting and said there was no requirement for the material to be destroyed after it used for the investigation.

Source: Fairfax Media.

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