The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 requires telecommunications companies to retain a particular set of telecommunications data for at least 2 years.
These obligations ensure Australia's law enforcement and security agencies are lawfully able to access data, subject to strict controls. Access to data is central to almost all serious criminal and national security investigations.
A copy of the data set required to be retained and secured is available to download below:
The data retention scheme will be reviewed by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, commencing in 2019.
