Requests for access to ‘existing information or documents’ continue to increase in absolute terms, according to a report from the Attorney General’s Department

Government departments, agencies and councils accessed metadata from Australians’ phone calls and internet use 334,658 times in 2013-14, according to the the Telecommunications (Interceptions and Access) Act annual report.

The act allows organisations to apply for access to “existing information or documents” which can include details of phone calls (but not the contents of the call) and internet access details such as subscribers’ personal information, and dates and times of internet usage.



Authorisations are granted for agencies either pursuing criminal enforcement matters or enforcing fines.



The figure for 2013-14 represents an increase of 1.3% in total requests over the previous year, but when adjusted for population the number of requests per 100,000 people has dropped.



Police forces were the heaviest users, with New South Wales police making 111,889 requests. Other agencies, such as the RSPCA and councils, are also able to make warrantless metadata requests, with RSPCA Victoria making 64 requests in 2013-14.



This year’s figures also included a revision to last year’s total, with the addition of a number of previously undeclared requests from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.



The government has passed legislation with bipartisan support requiring telcos and internet service providers to store customers’ metadata – including the time and participants in phone calls, text messages and emails – for two years. But not all agencies can access the data stored under the new legislation.

Here’s the full breakdown of requests by agency, for requests relating to criminal matters:

