Unconscionable Conduct By Telstra

[Scott]

Is this morally right?

From this 'Age' story: Telstra Storing Data on Behalf of US Government.

Telstra agreed more than a decade ago to store huge volumes of electronic communications it carried between Asia and America for potential surveillance by United States intelligence agencies.

Telstra has also sent 170 Australian jobs overseas according to this Age story: More Telstra Jobs Headed Offshore.

On another note.

I'm not having a go at anyone on these forums, but if your with Telstra/Bigpond, why haven't you sourced your telecommunications requirements elsewhere?

I have high speed internet, home phone and two mobile phones (his and hers) and my bill with Telstra averaged $200 per month. That was on a CONTRACT. I had a look around and sourced exactly the same needs (home telephone, high speed internet and two mobile phones) with NO CONTRACT. I ended up going with Internode and my bill now averages around $130 per month (same sort of usage as with Telstra). On top of that I have a greater bandwidth allowance (70GB as opposed to 30GB), cheaper mobile rates, cheaper home phone rates and actually get to speak to an Australian when I need to call them. Internode is an Australian company

Please, do your sums and switch from this dreadful company that is Telstra/Bigpond. Switching is painless, all you have to do is call.

[DJ’s Timber]

I'm not having a go at anyone on these forums, but if your with Telstra/Bigpond, why haven't you sourced your telecommunications requirements elsewhere?

Some of us don't have that luxury, Telstra still or did have the monopoly on coverage for mobiles in remote areas that most other phone companies don't have, so we have no choice but to stay with them to get reliable coverage unless you switch to a satellite phone.

Just about every tradesman that I know up here is with Telstra as it is the only company that has decent coverage.

You'd be amazed by the amount of people visiting the region that cannot get coverage due to being with another company.

[lesmeyer]

I would love to be able to do what you did. My problem is that I live in an ADSL blackspot - pair gain only on the phone line which means ADSL 1. BUT I have the foxtel cable and use that for very high speed internet (115Mb/s). Stuck with with Telstra - expensive but no other choice as my area is not even on the NBN horizon (Liberal seat).
Les

[Master Splinter]

I just hope that Telstra is continuing its 'charge to the hilt' pricing model for its services....

What the government pays to snoop on you

"AT&T, for example, imposes a $325 "activation fee" for each wiretap and $10 a day to maintain it."

[corbs]

People want to sleep safely at night but don't want to know what it takes to provide that safety.

These measures are required to stop and catch bad people who want to do bad things.

Personally I couldn't care less what it takes to stop these people and if they want to read my facebook status' then go for it. Some of them are quite witty

[michael_m]

People want to sleep safely at night but don't want to know what it takes to provide that safety.

These measures are required to stop and catch bad people who want to do bad things.

But how do we know that? Where is the oversight? Who defines who/what is bad or not? Why is an Australian company giving an American Intelligence Service the data? America's interests are not always ours.

[corbs]

So because you personally don't know how the information is being used you believe there is no oversight? The simple fact is that these processes directly save lives.

[Scott]

The simple fact is that these processes directly save lives.

And indirectly places other lives in danger. Collateral damage, as they say.

I just think it's another step in Americanising our country and adding another layer of control over our already totalitarian society.

[corbs]

What other lives are being put in danger?

I think it's time for some people to put on their alfoil hats.

[Scott]

What other lives are being put in danger?

There have always been mistakes made in interpreting information such as this.

Did you know that the American Government, by law, cannot eavesdrop or spy on U.S. citizens on U.S soil but have enfettered access to foreign communications (fourth amendment)? Why is the Australian Government allowing this when the Yanks are not listening to their own backyard?

[Scott]

I would love to be able to do what you did. My problem is that I live in an ADSL blackspot - pair gain only on the phone line which means ADSL 1. BUT I have the foxtel cable and use that for very high speed internet (115Mb/s). Stuck with with Telstra - expensive but no other choice as my area is not even on the NBN horizon (Liberal seat).
Les

It's quite sad when people like DJ and yourself are stuck in the Telecommunications backwater. Telstra knows this thus their exorbitant and inflexible pricing structure.

By the way, I live in the 4th safest Labor party seat in Australia and we haven't even been listed for NBN for another 5 or 6 years. In fact we sill can't get ADSL 2 where I live.

[corbs]

There have always been mistakes made in interpreting information such as this.

So because there's a chance of mistakes it should not happen? That's a pretty broad brush you're painting with and if you logically extend that same argument I'm pretty sure society as we now know it would cease to exist. Can you think of anyone anywhere who has not made a mistake? The issue is not that mistakes will be made, it's how they are addressed when discovered.

Did you know that the American Government, by law, cannot eavesdrop or spy on U.S. citizens on U.S soil but have enfettered access to foreign communications (fourth amendment)? Why is the Australian Government allowing this when the Yanks are not listening to their own backyard?

Yes, I knew this and Edward Snowden has shown that they are listening in their own yard. This does not change my opinion.

[A Duke]

Who decides who's bad? One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

[robbo37]

What other lives are being put in danger?

Any evidence to support the claim "the fact is lives are being saved"

Data collected to be stored in the US. The document also specifies the facility should be run exclusively by US staff.

Doesn't make me feel too at ease.

[DaveTTC]

Conspiracy theory


Enemy of the State

Just 2 'old' movies that give some idea of what is possible out there. Telstra information is nothing to everything else. All the surveillance cameras that are out there with automatic facial recognition software.

We cant hide. When they can turn on our phones remotely and listen to our microphones when the phone is not even in use .....

I have an iPhone - if I set the map app to give me directions and then remove the sim and have no wifi it will still track where I am on the journey and give me directions how to get to my destination