Australia under surveillance too.....

Looks like the NSA scandal has spread to down under, with this news in the paper today:

 Federal police are obtaining Australians' phone and internet records without warrants nearly 1000 times a week, it has emerged as controversy rages over a vast US surveillance program. 

Revelations in a recent Senate estimates hearing include efforts by the Australian Federal Police to access Facebook and Google data of the kind gathered under the US National Security Agency's controversial PRISM program. 

 The revelations draw Australia into the furious global debate about secret surveillance, which has erupted since US whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked sensitive details of the NSA's spying program. 

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Asked by independent senator Nick Xenophon whether the officers had also asked for information from the US about Australians' use of internet and social media sites, Mr Phelan said: ''We have made a number of requests over the time''. 

On Monday Senator Xenophon said: ''These problems on metadata could turn into a megaproblem for our democracy.'' Read more  

Cripes, haven't we got enough problems with our democracy already? Unrepresentative politicians, now this shit..... Just like us isn't it. We'd follow the US over a cliff if they wanted us to.