Hackers from the world's most notorious hacking group Anonymous have begun publishing customer information they stole from Australian ISP AAPT last week - which in some cases includes client mobile phone numbers - to highlight the dangers of a proposal to force telcos to store every Australian's web history for up to two years.

Although most of the data published so far, which the hackers began putting online over the weekend, has been redacted, it shows federal, state and local government departments (among other business clients) as customers of AAPT.

Nicola Roxon. Credit:Andrew Sheargold

Government customers include the Australian Federal Police, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australian Communications and Media Authority, Department Of Health, Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Bureau of Meteorology. The embassies of Switzerland, Iran, Thailand and Singapore in Australia are also listed, as well as other clients such as Energy Australia and the ABC.