This is precisely the issue that was raised by anyone with enough knowledge to accurately describe metadata prior to the legislation being implemented.<p>This metadata retention, in combination with the encryption-breaking legislation being currently put in front of parliament, shows the Australian government (both sides, given the lack of resistance from the opposition) as some kind of data-worshipping paranoiacs.<p>It makes me feel that Australia, due to its steretypical laid-back attitude and disinterest in politics, is being used as the tip of the spear for other countries (5-eyes members primarily) to use as precedent for implementing their own such surveillance states.<p>References:<p>George Brandis "explaining" metadata:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbtgULCY5zk" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbtgULCY5zk</a><p>Article from 2014 about risk of scope creep for the metadata retention laws:
<a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/metadata-laws-open-to-scope-creep-lawyers-398971" rel="nofollow">https://www.itnews.com.au/news/metadata-laws-open-to-scope-c...</a> (December 2014)<p>What metadata retention looks like:
<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2015/02/19/4183553.htm" rel="nofollow">https://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2015/02/19/418355...</a>