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This weekly blog is to explore the news around the larger issues around Digital Health, data security, data privacy, AI / ML. technology, social media and related matters.
I will also try to highlight ADHA Propaganda when I come upon it.
Just so we keep count, the latest Notes from the ADHA Board were dated 6 December, 2018 and we have seen none since! It’s pretty sad!
Note: Appearance here is not to suggest I see any credibility or value in what follows. I will leave it to the reader to decide what is worthwhile and what is not! The point is to let people know what is being said / published that I have come upon.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/esafety-commissioner-worried-about-govts-defamation-reforms/
eSafety Commissioner ‘worried’ about govt’s defamation reforms
Denham
Sadler
National Affairs Editor
3 February 2022
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is “worried” about the government’s so-called anti-trolling reforms, saying they could lead to vigilante justice and may confuse the public.
Appearing before the Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety on Thursday afternoon, Ms Inman Grant agreed with other witnesses that the government’s anti-trolling bill is not about trolls at all, but rather defamation.
The legislation would enable those who have been defamed to identify anonymous posters of defamatory material and reverse the High Court’s decision that administrators of social media pages are liable for defamatory comments posted by third parties.
Despite it being named the Social Media (Anti-Trolling) Bill, the word “trolling” or “troll” does not appear in it once, and Department representatives last week confirmed it is about defamation only.
Ms Inman Grant said she is concerned that the new powers would lead people to take matters into their own hands.
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Australian Digital Health Agency
Assistant Director, Secretariat Services (Capability)
Brisbane QLD, Sydney NSW, Canberra ACT
The EL1 Assistant Director, Secretariat Services is accountable under broad direction to perform very complex work to provide oversight of the quality and logistics of the work of the Secretariat Services Team.
The key duties of the position include:
The Assistant
Director, Secretariat Services collaborates broadly across the Agency
senior executive team to support the delivery of program outcomes through
efficient and effective governance and secretariat support. They will undertake
extensive engagement with a range of senior external stakeholders representing
public and private health interests, industry experts and consumer
representatives.
The Assistant Director, Secretariat Services will:
- Apply an extensive knowledge and understanding of stewardship and compliance with relevant legislative and best practice governance requirements for Board and secretariat activity
- Provide oversight and management of the Secretariat Services Team, developing and implementing secretariat work plans and ensuring accountabilities are met to a high quality and timely standard whilst building capabilities of the team
- Extensively engage with a range of senior external stakeholders representing public and private health interests, industry experts and consumer representatives to ensure the provision of responsive and high quality customer service
- Develop and manage relationships with critical stakeholders, engaging, collaborating and negotiating on complex to very complex issues to facilitate cooperation and influence and achieve business outcomes
- Work with a level of independence, under broad direction to provide oversight of a dynamic and interdependent Agency Board Forward Work Program and provide timely and accurate advice regarding secretariat matters relating to the Agency Board
- Anticipate areas of strategic interest to the Agency Board and Senior Executive, understanding and evaluating the associated risks and assisting Agency business areas in responding to risk.
Working in an environment where competing and changing priorities exist you will demonstrate flexibility and resilience whilst leading a team of specialists to deliver strategic corporate secretariat support to the Agency Board, Board advisory committees and other Agency groups. You will develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, at all levels. In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to employ a variety of communication skills (verbal and written) tailored to the audience
- Strong knowledge and experience in providing Secretariat Services
- High level analytical skills and conceptual thinking skills, with the ability to problem solve and to provide timely and accurate advice
- Capability of working within established legislative and policy frameworks
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Facebook whistleblower ‘deeply sceptical’ of Australia’s online safety laws
Joseph
Brookes
Senior Reporter
3 February 2022
The former Facebook worker who blew the whistle on the company’s disregard for user safety last year is “deeply sceptical” of Australia’s co-regulation approach to online platforms, advocating instead for a model independent of tech giants’ input that forces transparency.
American data scientist Frances Haugen disclosed tens of thousands of Facebook’s internal documents to US regulators last year, alleging the company was putting profits and growth ahead of user safety.
On Thursday she appeared before the Parliament’s current online safety inquiry, detailing the company’s inner workings and warning against Australia’s co-regulation model, saying it would do little to curb the amplification of harmful content.
“If we allow Facebook to write its own regulations, if we allow them to operate in the dark, they will continue to mislead us and under invest in the most basic safety systems,” Ms Haugen told the inquiry.
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Summit keynote Prof Erwin Loh on how Australia is using data during the pandemic compared to the rest of the world
Jan 31, 2022 | AIDH VIC, Community Chats, Conferences, Events, International Health News
In the weeks leading up to our Digital Health Institute Summit we will be speaking with some of our keynote speakers who will share the key themes of their keynotes. We also asked them to share their insights on the challenges and their priority areas in their roles for digital health in 2022.
Our first preview chat is with St Vincent’s Health Australia Group Chief Medical Officer, Professor Erwin Loh whose keynote, ‘Making the personal, public: The benefit of data in managing a pandemic’ will cover how Australia is using data during the pandemic compared to the rest of the world.
“Ultimately without data you will be flying blind…it tells us where we have been, where we are now and where we are headed.” Professor Erwin Loh.
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https://www.zdnet.com/article/home-affairs-singles-out-meta-as-most-reluctant-to-stop-online-abuse/
Home Affairs singles out Meta as most reluctant to stop online abuse
The Department of Home Affairs has said major social media platforms put safety as an afterthought in their bid to roll out encryption quickly.
Written by Campbell Kwan,
on February 1, 2022 | Topic: Security
The Department of Home Affairs has called for more oversight on social media algorithms and online platforms using encryption as being a potential mechanism for preventing online abuse.
Those calls were made by Home Affairs representatives on Tuesday afternoon when they appeared before the Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety. The committee is currently undertaking a social media probe into the practices of major technology companies to curb toxic online behaviour.
The committee's probe was approved by the federal government at the end of last year with the intention of building on the proposed social media legislation to "unmask trolls".
Home Affairs digital and technology policy head Brendan Dowling on Tuesday said his department has become increasingly concerned about the rollout of encryption on online platforms. In expressing these concerns, Dowling said his department was not anti-encryption and acknowledged the cybersecurity and privacy benefits of the technology, but noted the rollout of encryption on online platforms has not been done with the intention of prioritising the safety of users.
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https://www.seek.com.au/job/55806077?type=standout
EL2 Directors (Multiple Positions)
Brisbane CBD & Inner Suburbs
Government & Defence
About
the Role
The Australian Digital Health Agency is seeking candidates to fill several
vacancies at the Executive level 2. This is an exciting opportunity for
suitably qualified and experienced leaders to deliver influential and positive
policy contributions to the Government’s National and Digital Health agendas
for the good of the Australian people.
Australian
Digital Health Agency
Multiple
Opportunities available in the below Divisions:
Digital strategy Division – responsible for national digital health design and strategy, underpinned by strong clinical governance and digital health standards.
- Director, Digital Health and Aged Care Standards
- Director, Policy and Privacy
Digital Programs and Engagement Division – responsible for external relationships, implementation and change and adoption, as well as being the place of excellence for driving program delivery, reporting and outcomes.
- Program Director, Medicines Safety Program
- Director, Prioritisation and Planning
Merit Pool: Applicants rated as suitable will be placed in a pool of merit that may be used to fill similar ongoing or non-ongoing positions throughout the Agency for up to 12 months.
Skills
and Experience
Successful candidates will be expected to:
- Communication – Have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Candidates should have the capability to analyse information and data inputs, distil key messages and adapt delivery in an engaging and creative manner to influence varied audiences.
- Lead teams and provide expert advice - Lead and build high performing teams, provide strategic direction; allocate resources effectively and respond flexibly to changing demands; provide subject matter expertise to achieve outcomes for the Division and the Agency.
- Navigate strategic context - Understand the environmental and broader policy landscape, identify opportunities, distil key issues and anticipate priorities.
- Deliver outcomes - Work in a fast-paced environment with ambiguity. Candidates need to demonstrate self-motivation, initiative and the willingness and ability to lead and drive initiatives.
- Think critically - Assess the implications of technology, health and policy developments and develop cogent insights as a basis for policy advice and practices.
- Excellent relationship management skills –Be comfortable with collaboration and be able to work with people with different perspectives to achieve outcomes.
- Leadership – Be proactive, innovative and inclusive. The successful candidate will have the ability to lead, develop and inspire staff within their section to work effectively across organisational boundaries to achieve results.
- This candidate must demonstrate their ability to be innovative, collaborative and use a risk and evidence-based approach to manage complex matters including managing underperformance where required.
Salary: $146,411.00 - $173,343.00 (Total remuneration including superannuation).
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Vaxxas Covid-19 patch vaccines are a step closer
February 4, 2022
Receiving vaccines via a patch rather than a needle has drawn a step closer, with biotech firm Vaxxas receiving a federal co-investment grant.
The company plans to produce up to 300 million patch doses each year at full capacity.
Its manufacturing centre is under construction at Brisbane’s Northshore Hamilton, courtesy of a $26m investment by the Queensland government.
On Thursday a buoyant Vaxxas CEO David Hoey said: “Scientifically, the needle and syringe is 170 years old and the only reason we put vaccines into people by needle and syringe is because it‘s the only thing we had.”
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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/18854
Australian Digital Health Agency
Project Co-ordinator
Opportunity ID 18854
Deadline for asking questions Wednesday 9 February 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Application closing date Friday 11 February 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Published Thursday 3 February 2022
Category Agile delivery and Governance
Overview
The Agency is seeking for a APS5 level Project Co-ordinator experienced in technology delivery to assist in undertaking project activities within the Infrastructure Delivery Team, responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Providing support to Project Managers in end to end delivery of assigned projects in terms of time, cost and quality metrics and to the PMO Manager in defining and driving best practice and process in terms of quality standards, frameworks, tools and methodologies • Contributing to development of program and project management artefacts and schedules as required by the PMO/Project Manager • Supporting PMO/ Project Manager to develop and maintain project and program registers including change management, dependencies, risk and issue registers, and the management of these registers through identification, assessment and coordination of response / actions. • Maintaining program action register and ensuring delivery team are completing actions within required timeframes • Supporting in definition and implementation of best practice processes in technology delivery such as project initiation, planning, delivery, communication, governance and the usage of project tools. • Support PMO Manager in the maintenance of the Technology Delivery Plan and alignment with product expectations and project delivery. • Providing support to Project Managers in end to end delivery of assigned projects in terms of time, cost and quality metrics and to the PMO Manager in defining and driving best practice and process in terms of quality standards, frameworks, tools and methodologies • Contributing to development of program and project management artefacts and schedules as required by the PMO/Project Manager • Supporting PMO/ Project Manager to develop and maintain project and program registers including change management, dependencies, risk and issue registers, and the management of these registers through identification, assessment and coordination of response / actions. • Maintaining program action register and ensuring delivery team are completing actions within required timeframes • Supporting in definition and implementation of best practice processes in technology delivery such as project initiation, planning, delivery, communication, governance and the usage of project tools. • Support PMO Manager in the maintenance of the Technology Delivery Plan and alignment with product expectations and project delivery. • Supporting procurement and contracting activities aligned with program plans and required work stream activities. • Supporting PMO/Project Managers with co-ordination and logistical support including: scheduling meetings/calendar management, preparation for meetings (e.g. agendas, presentation preparation), documentation of meeting outcomes, recording and tracking actions, and maintaining document repositories and shared project spaces • Supporting and sustaining productive relationships for engagement and liaison activities with key stakeholder groups and external vendors. • Providing regular status updates on activities to the PMO/Project Manager • Adhering to the Agency’s Values and Code of Conduct. • Any other ad-hoc support required by the Project, Program and Branch. A merit list will be established that will be utilised as required for a period of up to 6 months.
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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/18859
Australian Digital Health Agency
Project Officer
Opportunity ID 18859
Deadline for asking questions Wednesday 9 February 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Application closing date Friday 11 February 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Published Thursday 3 February 2022
Category Agile delivery and Governance
Overview
The APS6 Project Officer, within the Infrastructure Delivery team in the Technology Services division, requires a project officer experienced in: • working alongside a Senior Project Manager/ Project Lead to support, co-ordinate and enable project activities in the delivery of complex externally focused, technology projects/program and/or • management of smaller, less complex externally focused, technology projects. The key skills and experience required include: • strong stakeholder engagement skills working with both internal and external stakeholders and third parties/vendors to understand, negotiate and resolve issues arising within a project/program. • providing support to projects in scheduling and planning, development and delivery of project controls around risk and issues, schedule, change control etc and other project/program and reporting support. • scheduling and planning, development and delivery of project controls around risk and issues, schedule, change control etc and other project/program and reporting activities either as a support function or project manager depending on the project scale • ability to maintain a good level of knowledge of technology delivery processes and project management sources, standards, frameworks, policies, guidelines and best practice models. The Project Officer will require a level of technical knowledge to understand technical discussion and direction in order to communicate technical information to required stakeholders, some of which may be non-technical. A merit list will be established that will be utilised as required for a period of up to 6 months.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=019e2156-8280-4c91-8e39-3299cae5c550
At a glance: data protection and management of health data in Australia
Gilbert + Tobin Andrew Hii, John Lee , Kevin Ko and Susan Jones
Australia January 24 2022
Data protection and management
Definition of `health data'
What constitutes ‘health data’? Is there a definition of ‘anonymised’ health data?
Health data includes:
- information or an opinion about an individual’s health or any health services provided, or to be provided, to the individual;
- any personal information collected to provide or in providing a ‘health service’ to an individual (including organ donation); and
- genetic information about an individual that is in a form that could be predictive about the health of an individual (or relative of the individual).
The concept of ‘providing health services’ is very broad and can capture a range of services that may not be front of mind when thinking about health – for example, information collected by a gym on an individual in connection with a gym class, or Medicare billing information held by an insurance provider or debt collector.
Anonymised health data is not defined, although the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) Guidelines state that ‘anonymity’ means that an individual dealing with an entity cannot be identified. Critically, health data that may be anonymous in the hands of one entity may not be anonymous in the hands of another. The ability of an entity to link a data set with other information is relevant to whether data is truly anonymised.
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Anteris miracle heart valve ready for approval
10:10PM February 2, 2022
Australian firm Anteris Technologies will seek local approval of its breakthrough aortic heart valve that replaces open heart surgery with a simple insertion procedure.
The valve treats a condition called aortic stenosis, caused by a build-up of calcium that narrows the heart’s aortic valve opening. Untreated, the condition has a 50 per cent mortality rate within two years.
Instead of undergoing open heart surgery, a valve is inserted in the patient’s groin and threaded on a catheter through the thigh’s femoral artery to the heart. CEO and managing director Wayne Paterson said patients can remain conscious during the insertion process and be released within a day.
Mr Paterson said the valve material had successfully obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and Anteris was seeking to commence the Australian regulatory approval process in 2023. “We may get fast tracked because of the clinical benefits of this product,” he said.
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Trans and gender diverse inclusive language matters in healthcare
Sally Goldner
Contributor
February 2, 2022 — 5.30am
I grew up with family who worked in retail. The ideals I learned relating to good customer service, such as listening to each customer’s needs, treating each person with respect and a sense of giving have stayed with me for nearly 50 years. These ideals are even more important when dealing with people’s lives, bodies, and aspects of any person’s sense of self.
Every healthcare client deserves the best outcome; at the same time, every client is unique as a person. Therefore, healthcare for any procedure/s needs to be flexible to include all the people who potentially need the care.
In this light, having processes such as inclusive language that include trans and gender diverse (TGD) people helps further achieve this aim in addition to those, including women, already receiving good care – and no one is worse off.
Arguments that claim that including more people demean those already included remind me of one of the many irrational aspects of the “No” campaign during the same-sex marriage postal survey; namely, including more couples in civil marriage law would take away somehow from marriages between a male and a female.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=0ef0964d-a6d1-4e29-a546-ecaecc771a9b
Algorithmic profiling & online behavioural advertising
Gilbert + Tobin Tim Gole, Jen Bradley, Claire Arthur and Rishabh Khanna
Australia, European Union, USA January 28 2022
You’re browsing online, looking for those new running shoes that are going to make you fitter in 2022. You close the browser and open a social media webpage and soon notice ads for those very joggers and similar products. Congratulations, you’re a subject of algorithmic profiling and online behavioural advertising.
You’ve probably already had similar experiences many times over. You’re likely aware that your online behaviour is tracked, and that there is a lucrative market in the advertising space for the purchase and sale of internet users’ profiles that are based on users’ online behaviour. What you may not understand is how your information is collected and behaviour is tracked, and the algorithmic profiling that occurs to serve you with this advertising.
At the same time, increasing public concern over the way in which technology is ever-creeping into – and tracking – our lives is seeing governments and some tech giants moving away from or limiting such tracking-based advertising.
In this article we look at how online behaviour is usually tracked and algorithmic profiles are compiled in online behavioural advertising, and the regulatory framework that applies in Australia, the EU and US – and how this may be changing, including under the recently introduced Digital Services Act in the European Union.
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You’re being watched: How Big Data is changing our lives
Miah Hammond-Errey
Contributor
February 2, 2022 — 5.30am
Your phone lights up with a notification. “COVID-19 case alert. You checked in to X location on Y date around the same time as a COVID-19 case. Unless otherwise advised, you must monitor for symptoms. If you are unwell, get a COVID-19 test.”
You pick up your phone and wonder whether to panic.
Global studies showed that even in 2016, users were interacting with or ‘touching’ their phones thousands of times per day. COVID-19 has exacerbated that trend, for everything from check-ins and vaccination records to banking, ordering food, working and socialising. If you’re anything like the average Australian, you’re spending five and a half hours a day on your phone.
We often think about online data from a personal privacy perspective, which is of course profoundly important. However, it is also important to understand how our collective reliance on data infrastructure and our participation in the digital economy are forming the backbone of new economic, political, and social power – what I call in a paper published on Wednesday by the Lowy Institute “the big data landscape”.
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Home Affairs says end-to-end encryption is detrimental to public safety
By Justin Hendry on Feb 2, 2022 6:44AM
"Not striking the right balance between the benefits and the risks of harm".
Social media giants are forging ahead with plans to introduce end-to-end encryption on their platforms “without regard” for public safety, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
Fronting a parliamentary inquiry into online safety, departmental representatives raised ongoing concerns with the prioritisation of security and privacy, while calling for visibility into algorithms.
The comments come despite passage of the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act, which aimed to tackle serious crime "enabled" by anonymising technology.
Law enforcement agencies also already have potential ways to access encrypted services under the controversial Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act passed in 2018.
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https://www.seek.com.au/job/55757397?type=standard
EL1 Secretariat Services
DFP Recruitment
ACT
Government & Defence
Government - Federal
$122716 - $139929 per annum
Full time
Posted 22h ago
Play
a key role in improving the health of Australians through better use of data
and technology leading the team in providing advice and analysis to key
stakeholders, partnering with them to influence decision making based on sound
financial management principles and understanding the story behind the numbers.
About
the Agency
The Australian Digital Health Agency is responsible for national digital health
services and systems, with a focus on engagement, innovation, clinical quality
and safety. Our focus is on putting data and technology safely to work for
patients, consumers and the healthcare professionals who look after them.
About
the Role
The EL1
Assistant Director, Secretariat Services is accountable under
broad direction to perform very complex work to provide oversight of the
quality and logistics of the work of the Secretariat Services Team.
Skills
and Experience
The Assistant
Director, Secretariat Services collaborates broadly across the
Agency senior executive team to support the delivery of program outcomes
through efficient and effective governance and secretariat support. They will
undertake extensive engagement with a range of senior external stakeholders
representing public and private health interests, industry experts and consumer
representatives.
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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/careers/product-test-and-assurance-lead
Product Test and Assurance Lead
APS6
($99,860 - $112,659)
Digital
Strategy Division > Info/Comm Tech (ICT)
Brisbane,
Canberra, Sydney
Closing - 13 Feb 2022
Division Overview
Digital strategy – responsible for national digital health design and strategy, underpinned by strong clinical governance and digital health standards.
Primary purpose of position
The APS6 Product Test and Assurance Lead is responsible for:
- Managing the testing and assurance services of Agency products)
- Driving and implementing improvements in the quality of testing and assurance services
- Leading the inspection and review of testing delivery performed by 3rd parties in their release of functionality supporting Agency foundational products (e.g. My Health Record).
- Reviewing test deliverables, artefacts and executions to assure the scope and accuracy of the testing provides functionality that meets the Agency’s requirements and is “fit for purpose”
- Undertaking change management processes as directed
Skills and experience
The APS6 Product Test and Assurance Lead will possess:
- In-depth knowledge of product testing and assurance in a digital health context to provide accurate and specialised testing advice
- Proven results in establishing, automating and maintaining new product testing assurances with a focus on planning and scheduling to deliver quality outcomes within agreed timeframes
- Demonstrated experience in providing efficiencies and improving the development of product testing and assurance services
- Demonstrated analysis skills in relation to product testing and assurance activities with evidence of using good judgement, expertise and knowledge to deliver outcomes
- Clear and effective communication skills to ensure stakeholders are informed of influences that may impact team objectives and ensure alignment and integration across all test phases to meet their business needs
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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/18772
Australian Digital Health Agency
DH4109 Risk Manager
Opportunity ID 18772
Deadline for asking questions Monday 14 February 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Application closing date Wednesday 16 February 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Published Monday 31 January 2022
Category ICT risk management and audit activities
Additional terms
Comprehensive terms apply
Overview
Responsibilities: • Facilitate and provide advice to project and program teams on risk management, including depth and breath of risk assessments and relevant considerations; • provide periodic review and advice to Agency executive personnel (including governance forums) relating to project and program risk assessments and management of risks; • Lead the facilitation of risk workshops in consultation with the program and project teams and support presentation of risks to various audiences; • provide assurance of risk management processes and practises within nominated ICT projects and programs • manage and update project and program risk registers aligned to the Agency frameworks • provide risk management leadership and coaching to risk owners and control owners • Document, monitor and support risk related activities that underpin the intent of the risk management framework • undertake Key Risk Indicator monitoring and reporting • undertake control assessment/testing and assurance activities including suport for issues management where required • prepare insightful, informative and succinct reporting • perform deep dive analysis of key risks as required • support business risk owners to better understand risk management principles and approaches The Risk Manager will use the Agency risk management framework and guidance. The role will include leading risk management within the program and projects at a practical level and providing advice and assurance of risk management to the Agency executive and governance forums related to the ICT programs and projects being reviewed. The role will work closely with the risk adviser and program lead to implement and track risk management practices throughout the program. Specified Personnel will be expected to transfer skills and knowledge to Agency staff and ensure appropriate documentation is stored in accordance with the Agency’s recordkeeping policy and practices. A merit list will be established that will be utilised as required for a period of up to 6 months.
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Finding employees with in-demand skills harder during pandemic, APS agencies say
Monday January 31, 2022
Long-standing job vacancies in the Australian Public Service have been harder to fill in the past two years, according to some agencies feeling the strain of a tighter labour market.
The shortages are stretching employers broadly across Australia, not just in the public sector, but federal agency leaders say roles less likely to be in-house before the pandemic are even more challenging to recruit for now.
The qualifications in demand span specialist IT and digital and data expertise, with one agency of about 400 staff telling The Mandarin there were 30 to 40 roles to fill.
Others highlighted similar pressures or said conditions had stayed the same in the current job market.
For those wrestling with hiring, competition with the private sector is part of the challenge. But agencies believe emphasising flexibility, workplace culture and a wider mission to serve the public interest are parts of the solution.
Australian Digital Health Agency acting chief Paul Creech described the job market as “very competitive” and said the agency was particularly exposed to losing staff to the business sector.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/home-affairs-says-online-account-takeover-powers-now-in-use-575279
Home Affairs says online account takeover powers now in use
By Justin Hendry on Jan 31, 2022 8:01AM
First warrants issued to authorities late last year.
Controversial new powers allowing federal police and organised crime investigators to take control of online accounts and “disrupt” data are now in use, the Department of Home Affairs has revealed.
The department said in answers to questions on notice from senate estimates that the first warrants were issued under the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act (SLAID Act) late last year.
Under the legislation, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission have access to three new warrants to tackle serious crime enabled by anonymising technology.
The warrants allow the agencies to take control of a person’s online account, as well as add, copy, delete or alter material to disrupt criminal activity and collect intelligence from online networks.
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https://itwire.com/guest-articles/guest-opinion/digital-accessibility-in-the-post-pandemic-era.html
Friday, 28 January 2022 12:30
Digital accessibility in the post-pandemic era
GUEST OPINION by Paul Arthur, Regional Vice President, ANZ at OutSystems: From cashless payments to online food delivery and getting assistance from AI-assisted chatbots, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation across countries and industries. This has normalised many tech advancements that were considered revolutionary only months earlier. Almost overnight it became necessary to know how to navigate a digital-first environment to access the most basic of services.
For example, a recent report from Deloitte states that Australian enterprises are planning to spend an average of $68 million on advanced wireless technologies over the next three years, with a key driver being increased ability to respond to business disruptions like COVID-19.
Digital accessibility has become critical for ensuring universal access to basic services. In developer terms, this means that organisations need to design products and services that can be used by everyone – not just tech-savvy younger generations.
Accessibility considerations for tech are not just age-related – there are more limitations that developers need to consider. The spectrum spans people with disabilities, whether they are visual, auditive, speech, physical, cognitive, or neurological. It also includes those with health conditions or temporary impairments (the healthiest person may get a gym injury and be obliged to use the mouse with their non-dominant hand, or have tired eyes after staring at a screen all day). It is also essential to have solutions that are accessible – again, with universal access to fast networks. While the NBN rollout has made considerable inroads towards ubiquitous access to decent speeds and bandwidth, mobile data black-spots are still common, especially in regional areas. Australia is simply too vast and sparsely populated to avoid it.
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David.
