[nailer]

I live in the UK but have family in Australia - I can imagine there’s no privacy there either but I was wondering what the law is?

In the UK it’s one month of all our private communications thanks to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

What is it in Australia?

[Yeahsureok]

2 years data retention

[nailer]

> The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 requires telecommunications companies to retain a particular set of telecommunications data for at least 2 years.

That looks like metadata (see https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/nat-security/files/dataset.pd..., PDF warning). Which is still private, but doesn't include your private calls and messages.

How long do they keep private calls and messages?

[shakna]

> How long do they keep private calls and messages?

7-10 years, in practice. 2 years, in requirement. [0]

[0] https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Depart...

[nailer]

Hrm that link doesn't seem to be relevant:

> … is not defined in the TIA Act but is generally understood to refer to information about a communication that is not the content or substance of a communication.

I'm asking asking about content.

[shakna]

> The Act requires CSPs to preserve stored communications at the request of certain domestic agencies, or the Australian Federal Police acting on behalf of certain foreign countries, in advance of a warrant to access the information being issued.

> ...

> There are two types of preservation notices—domestic (‘which cover stored communications that might relate either to a contravention of certain Australian laws or to security’) and foreign (‘which cover stored communications that might relate to a contravention of certain foreign laws’).

> In turn, there are two types of domestic preservation notices—historic (‘which cover stored communications held by the carrier on a particular day’) and ongoing (‘which cover stored communications held by the carrier in a particular 30-day period’).

> A foreign preservation notice only covers stored communications held by the carrier on a particular day. The Ombudsman and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security will have oversight in relation to preservation notices.

[Handytinge]

They don't.

Preservation notices are incredibly rare, and no drag net requirements exist in Australia. CSPs are free to store such things, but generaly don't - beyond required metadata.