Defeat Digital ID
George Robert Christensen started this petition to Senator - 2024/03/10Our privacy and rights are under attack!
The Australian Senate is about to vote on a bill that could change our lives forever.
The Digital ID Bill 2023 and the associated Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023 are coming before the Australian Senate for debate and a vote, probably before the end of March.
These bills will undermine the privacy and rights of Australian citizens.
We must act with urgency, as the vote could happen very soon.
Sign our petition to ask key crossbench Senators including those in the Australian Greens, the Jacqui Lambie Network, and also independent Senators David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe, and David Van to vote against the Digital ID Bill 2023 and associated Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023.
There are numerous valid concerns about the impact of these bills on our privacy and rights.
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee held a recent inquiry, and reputable organisations like the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, Digital Rights Watch, and Community Voice Australia raised serious concerns about the bills.
These organisations highlighted risks around centralising and digitizing personal information, insufficient protections for sensitive data, and the potential for law enforcement to access personal information.
They also warned of a future where access to services and goods could be contingent on having a digital ID, raising ethical, privacy, and societal implications.
We know many crossbench Senators hold strong views about privacy and human rights in general and also relating to the Digital ID bills.
The Australian Greens, for example, are rightfully concerned that these bills will undermine the privacy and human rights of Australian citizens.
If we let these Senators know about our shared concerns, it could harden their resolve to vote against the bills.
If the crossbench Senators don't listen to our appeal, the Digital ID bills will pass, and Australians will face a future with limited privacy and ongoing surveillance.
However, if they listen to our appeal, we can defeat the Digital ID bills and ensure a nationalised and centralised Digital ID scheme doesn't come to pass.
We need as many signatures as possible to make an impression. We have to act now before it's too late.
Please, join CitizenGO today to ask key crossbench Senators to vote against the Digital ID Bill 2023 and associated Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023.
20,294 have signed.
Let's get to 50,000
Protect Australian Privacy: Vote Against the Digital ID Bills
Dear Senator,
As concerned Australians, we respectfully ask you to vote against the Digital ID Bill 2023 and the associated Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023. These bills pose a serious threat to privacy, and human rights in Australia.
Numerous reputable organisations, including the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties and Digital Rights Watch, have raised valid concerns about the negative impact these bills will have on our privacy and rights.
The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties expressed concerns regarding the Digital ID Bill, specifically highlighting the risks of centralising and digitising personal information, the insufficient protections for the safe handling of sensitive data, and the potential for law enforcement to access personal information. They criticised the Australian Government's post-consultation amendments for not adequately enhancing privacy protections and believe there are insufficient safeguards against the misuse of biometric data, emphasising the risk that Digital ID could be repurposed for surveillance or other unintended functions.
Likewise, Digital Rights Watch outlined several concerns regarding the Digital ID Bill, focusing on the lack of redress mechanisms, the potential for surveillance, inadequate data deletion practices, insufficient protections against data profiling, and the need for meaningful public consultation. They emphasised concerns about the alleged voluntary nature of the scheme, its security, and its treatment of privacy and rights. Digital Rights Watch also expressed concerns about the misuse of personal and biometric data, law enforcement access, and the potential for discrimination and surveillance.
Community Voice Australia also outlined its concerns about the Digital ID Bill 2023, including the potential for function creep, involuntary digital ID implementation, privacy breaches, and increased surveillance. Their submission highlighted issues such as the voluntary nature of digital ID being undermined by exemptions, the broad accreditation scheme allowing private entities to issue digital IDs, and the risk of marginalised groups being excluded or subjected to surveillance. Community Voice Australia warned of a future where access to services and goods, including employment and social benefits, could be contingent on having a digital ID, raising ethical, privacy, and societal implications.
In total, the Senate Economics Legislations Committee inquiry into the Digital ID Bill 2023 and the associated Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023 received almost 400 submissions. About 350 of these submissions were by everyday Australians expressing their concerns about how this bill will impact their lives and how it could affect their privacy.
Alarmingly, the Senate Economics Legislation Committee ignored these concerns and recommended passing the bill.
Of note is the excellent dissenting report by Australian Greens Senators who were part of the Senate Economic Legislations Committee's inquiry into these Digital ID bills. The Greens Senators pointed out that the Digital ID bills could exclude those without digital literacy or access from essential services. They also cautioned against voting for the bills ahead of necessary privacy protections being put in place. The Greens rightly criticised the bills for potentially allowing law enforcement excessive access to personal information, undermining public confidence, and failing to ensure a digital ID system was genuinely voluntary and inclusive. They also raised concerns about biometrics and data profiling, pointing out that these practices might replicate existing biases and prejudices by public agencies and private corporations.
While some might suggest that there could be amendments made to improve the Digital ID bills, it will take significant time, more public consultation and extensive redrafting to allay concerns raised by many reputable organisation about how these bills undermine the privacy and rights of Australian citizens.
We appreciate your strong track record of listening to community concerns and prioritising privacy and human rights over ideological considerations.
As a key crossbench Senator, we respectfully request that you take another brave stand for the privacy and rights of the Australian people and reject the Digital ID Bill 2023 and the associated Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023.
Kind regards,