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The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
How did you get my number? Inside the shadowy world of data brokers
Priya Dev has a clue on how political spam ended up in her inbox during the 2025 federal election campaign. Like many Australians, Dev endured an unwanted flood of Trumpet of Patriots text messages – Clive Palmer has admitted to sending 17m of them. But it was email spam from one of the major political parties that she thought she could do something about. Political parties are exempt from privacy law, so they have no obligation to tell individuals how they find your data, and there is no way to opt out. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email But the Australian National University data science academic had a clue: the emails were addressed to a fake name she had used for online purchases years ago – a name also used when she received spam from one of the minor political parties in 2020. 'It looks like it's come from a transaction,' she says. 'It would likely be some sort of online e-commerce transaction, or energy transaction or something like that.' Tracking down how organisations gain access to individual contact information is 'really hard with political parties because they just ignore you,' Dev says. 'If I can find out the origin of my data from this mission, it would be really amazing.' It's the second time Dev has attempted to track how someone got her data, working through the labyrinthine web of data brokers who – often without our awareness – buy and sell information on the public to advertisers or others who want to know more about us. Last year, after receiving dozens of unwanted calls, Dev was able to track who held her phone number back to real estate giant CoreLogic Australia, who told her they had been able to legitimately buy her data from another data broker firm in 2023, who had bought her data from another data broker in 2016. That company told her it obtained her data through a 2014 marketing campaign and had probably passed on her information to at least 50 other companies. Dev's experience is not an isolated one. Crikey reported in April that a child's email address that was signed up for a charity fundraiser more than a decade ago received Liberal party political spam at the most recent election. The answer to how marketers and others find out your contact details and other personal information is a complicated one. Katharine Kemp, an associate professor who leads the public interest law and tech initiative at the University of New South Wales, says it often occurs through a data-matching service that joins up your personal information across different service providers who then sell that via data brokers. Kemp said she had the experience where a mortgage broker had called her asking if she was in the market for a mortgage – she suspects they got her information from a real estate agent during an open house visit. But finding out how they got that information can often be hard, Kemp says. When she asks those who contact her where they got her details, 'they will obfuscate or sometimes just immediately hang up or … give a silly answer, and then when you press them, they very quickly end the call.' The federal privacy commissioner, Carly Kind, describes the data broking industry in general terms as 'very opaque', with 'a very complex value chain of personal information'. 'So because people don't really know what's going on, they're not really empowered to complain about it,' she says. 'I think people find it creepy, the way in which their personal information has been passed around through data brokers and ends up in places that they don't expect.' One global data broker organisation has described its work as 'enabling the exchange of information between businesses in the consumer interest and in the support of Australian corporates and small businesses,' according to a 2023 submission to the Australian consumer watchdog's inquiry into data brokering. The kinds of information collected includes names, addresses, age, browsing behaviour, purchasing behaviour, financial status, employment, qualification, tenancy history and other socioeconomic and demographic information. A Australia report last year found the types of data bought and sold by brokers could include location and movements over time, sexual interests, financial concerns, banking and utility providers, personal problems, gambling or drinking habits, and recent online purchases. Data broker companies include credit reporting companies, fraud and identity verification companies, news corporations, property companies, tenancy data brokers, marketers, loyalty programs, and social media platforms. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found in its report last year on data brokering that privacy policies used by companies to allow the sharing of data can use 'ambiguous language', making it hard for consumers to identify who their data is being shared with and for what purposes. They also make it harder, the report found, for people to figure out who holds their data and to opt out of its collection. The average number of words in a typical privacy policy is 6,876 and it would take 29 minutes to read, the report found. Research conducted as part of the report found 74% of Australians are uncomfortable with the idea of their personal information being shared or sold. Some companies seek to downplay concern and privacy obligations – such as providing data held on a person by request – by de-identifying the data collected on consumers. Consumer group Choice found last year data brokers claimed to not hold data on consumers who were members of their loyalty programs, with names taken off the data held. Kind, the privacy commissioner, says the assertion that de-identified data may not be considered personal information under the Privacy Act could be 'creative interpretation' of the law by the companies collecting such data. The ACCC said de-identified data still carries risks of consumers being identified when combined with data points from other sources. Kind, speaking generally and without naming any companies in particular, said many Australians would find some of the practices of some data brokers to be 'quite uncomfortable to say the least, and often veering on affronting or outrageous'. 'The data is changing hands numerous times. So it is a very complex space, and I think undoubtedly, a big chunk of it is legitimate and in compliance with the [privacy] act. But that's quite fuzzy – where that stops and where less legitimate activity starts.' The ACCC report did not make any recommendations, but supported the implementation of strengthened privacy laws in Australia. Kind says the ACCC's work has cleared the way for her office to begin looking into the practices of the sector, saying the Privacy Act today 'has many elements which could be applied to data brokers to rein in their practices'. 'It's an issue that I'm keen to prioritise and my regulatory team is currently looking into potentially using our powers in this space,' Kind says. Dev says there needs to be a debate about extending the privacy obligations to political parties, which would force them to be transparent with the public about how they acquire personal data. The exemption means that political parties do not have to respond to her requests about what data they hold on her, Dev says. Kemp says she thinks there is some prospect of tighter rules around data brokering, but there will be no appetite from politicians to change the law on political party obligations. 'But I don't think we should give up on it as an issue in an area that requires reform.'
AU Financial Review
28-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Australia's top 10 richest people revealed
Iron ore queen Gina Rinehart has topped the Financial Review Rich List for the sixth consecutive year, despite a 6 per cent drop in her $38.1 billion fortune, triggered by lower iron ore prices. The soft commodity price also knocked billions off the fortunes of fellow top-10 members Clive Palmer (ranked fifth with $20.1 billion) and Nicola Forrest (ranked ninth with $12.8 billion), resulting in the collective wealth of the 10 wealthiest Australians falling 9.2 per cent to $202 billion.
ABC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Gary-Jon Lysaght
A short-lived weather event was able to sweep up a country market stall and throw around stock. 47m ago 47 minutes ago Mon 19 May 2025 at 4:07am Michael McCormack says images in a country NSW shop window depicting himself, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart as Nazis are "vile" and "abhorrent". Tue 1 Apr Tue 1 Apr Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 6:33am 33-year-old Timacoy Williams has been refused bail after police found two suspected homemade explosives in his vehicle, forcing them to close the Sturt Highway in the Riverina region for eight hours. Tue 1 Oct Tue 1 Oct Tue 1 Oct 2024 at 4:33am Nathaniel and Jeremiah Schmetzer have been remembered as being full of life and love at a twin ceremony in NSW's south. Sat 22 Apr Sat 22 Apr Sat 22 Apr 2023 at 6:29am Residents in Gunnedah, Wagga Wagga and Forbes are being ordered to leave their homes. Thu 3 Nov Thu 3 Nov Thu 3 Nov 2022 at 3:42am Flooding will cut off some communities, but in places like Brewarrina the rejuvenating inflows are more than welcome. Fri 17 Dec Fri 17 Dec Fri 17 Dec 2021 at 3:24am Floodwaters moving quickly through inland rivers across New South Wales has sparked a warning for people to reconsider swimming in affected areas. Wed 15 Dec Wed 15 Dec Wed 15 Dec 2021 at 8:58pm Teachers at a Dubbo public school aren't striking today, to allow for the return of students after a fire destroyed buildings there last week. Tue 7 Dec Tue 7 Dec Tue 7 Dec 2021 at 12:54am The cause of a fire that destroyed four classrooms at a Dubbo school is to be investigated. Thu 2 Dec Thu 2 Dec Thu 2 Dec 2021 at 7:20am The north-western New South Wales community of Brewarrina is set to have a majority Indigenous council after this weekend's local government election, with seven of the 10 candidates identifying as Aboriginal. Tue 30 Nov Tue 30 Nov Tue 30 Nov 2021 at 9:02pm An early childhood centre in Bourke, 750km west of Sydney, is providing play sessions and developing kids' motor skills online, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues across western NSW. Fri 1 Oct Fri 1 Oct Fri 1 Oct 2021 at 9:43pm Brewarrina has only seen two cases of COVID-19 during Western NSW's outbreak, faring much better than its neighbours. Here's how the locals did it. Wed 29 Sep Wed 29 Sep Wed 29 Sep 2021 at 11:01pm Grocery store manager Paresh Patel and his staff are among those doing all they can to help the community weather the pandemic. Tue 28 Sep Tue 28 Sep Tue 28 Sep 2021 at 8:32pm The Mungindi Community Store is set up in the town's RSL and bowling club, providing locals with the opportunity to get essential goods as border closures drag on. Mon 27 Sep Mon 27 Sep Mon 27 Sep 2021 at 8:36pm A resident of the St Mary's aged care facility in Dubbo has passed away. Health authorities said she had significant underlying health conditions. Wed 22 Sep Wed 22 Sep Wed 22 Sep 2021 at 4:32am The Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Services, which supports around 5,000 people, requested the move after being alerted to internal financial discrepancies. Mon 20 Sep Mon 20 Sep Mon 20 Sep 2021 at 4:58am The COVID-19 death toll in western New South Wales has reached seven, after three more deaths were recorded. Fri 17 Sep Fri 17 Sep Fri 17 Sep 2021 at 7:05am People living in Walgett in north-western New South Wales no longer need to isolate while awaiting COVID-19 test results, aiming to raise numbers in a town which saw only 80 tests on Monday. Tue 14 Sep Tue 14 Sep Tue 14 Sep 2021 at 6:19am Low vaccination rates, few GPs and a system that was limping before the pandemic began could be a recipe for disaster in regional NSW, doctors warn. Fri 10 Sep Fri 10 Sep Fri 10 Sep 2021 at 11:17am Only 2,200 COVID-19 tests were carried out in the LHD yesterday and health authorities say the simultaneous decline in case numbers is "extremely worrying". Thu 9 Sep Thu 9 Sep Thu 9 Sep 2021 at 7:08am An Aboriginal man in his 60s from Dubbo has died in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney after contracting the Delta variant. Wed 8 Sep Wed 8 Sep Wed 8 Sep 2021 at 5:02am Health authorities in western NSW are urging Aboriginal people to mourn the death of an Enngonia woman by attending livestreamed funerals and staying at home. Tue 7 Sep Tue 7 Sep Tue 7 Sep 2021 at 6:24am An unvaccinated Aboriginal woman in her 70s, from Enngonia, north of Bourke, is the second person to die from COVID-19 in western NSW. Mon 6 Sep Mon 6 Sep Mon 6 Sep 2021 at 5:37am In locked down Dubbo, Wiradjuri elder Frank Doolan praises the Indigenous community's response to a COVID crisis heaping pressure on their lives and emotional wellbeing. Sat 4 Sep Sat 4 Sep Sat 4 Sep 2021 at 2:55am As the city passes 500 infections, it remains at the centre of the regional New South Wales caseload, with health officials repeating calls for people to get tested in greater numbers. Thu 2 Sep Thu 2 Sep Thu 2 Sep 2021 at 5:44am
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie senator defends picking 'Heil Hitler' as his song of the week - after fury erupts over his love of the Kanye West track
A controversial 'Make Australia Great Again' politician has doubled down on his decision to choose Kanye West 's song 'Heil Hitler', as his 'song of the week'. Ralph Babet, a senator for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party, earlier this week shared a post not only endorsing West's song but also announcing he'd rather associate with neo-Nazis than the 'mentally ill' and 'baby-killing' left-wing. In the song, West refers to himself as a Nazi and plays audio of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, whose reign of terror led to the murder of six-million Jews in the Holocaust. The post sparked outrage from Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich, who warned it signalled a larger, dangerous issue and called on United Australia leader Clive Palmer to sack Babet from the party. The controversial senator has since defended his song choice. 'I like Kanye West. He's a great artist… If someone else doesn't like what he puts out, don't buy it. Don't listen to it,' Babet told The Australian. 'But don't you f**king dare tell me what I can and can't listen to.' 'If they're going to try and associate me with being a Nazi - a brown immigrant from Africa - that's f**king bulls**t. You know it. I know it.' When approached for comment by Daily Mail Australia, Babet pointed to a post on X, formerly Twitter, with his interpretation of West's song. 'The entire point of the song, as would be clear to anyone who even bothered to do even a minimal amount of homework, is that Hitler is bad,' Babet wrote. 'That's right. The point of the song is that Adolf Hitler is bad. He is the personification of evil and mental illness. 'The song begins with Kanye West confessing that he is filled with rage and anger. Worse, he is hopelessly addicted to drugs. Then he admits, 'I'm the villain. 'It's in that context he sings 'Heil Hitler', not to acknowledge Hitler's desire to kill Jews but in the sense that Hitler, in our culture, has come to mean the devil.' Dr Abramovich was outraged to learn that a sitting Australian senator funded by the taxpayer endorsing a song glorifying Hitler. 'This is not a clumsy joke,' Dr Abramovich told Daily Mail Australia. 'When a federal parliamentarian publicly declares that a track titled 'Heil Hitler' is his favourite of the week, the alarm bells shouldn't be ringing - they should be deafening. 'This is not free speech. This is a public meltdown of moral responsibility.' Dr Abramovich explained the unashamed glorification of Hitler, seemingly without tangible consequences, will only give rise to far-right groups. The use of the genocide leader's name in trivial content, like a social media post, only works to numb viewers from atrocities driven by discrimination. 'Hitler is not a meme or a punchline. His name stands for genocide, mass murder, and gas chambers,' Dr Abramovich said. 'It is carved into the bones of six-million Jews and millions more victims. 'And now, a senator is casually promoting that name like it's just another track in a playlist.' Adding to Dr Abramovich's concern is Babet's proud narrow-mindedness, which is often applauded by his supporters. 'This same elected official says he'd rather associate with a neo-Nazi group than with Australians he disagrees with,' he said. 'He calls his fellow citizens 'retarded', 'baby-killing', and 'mentally ill' - and then shrugs it off with a smirk. 'What message does this send? That hatred is fashionable? That praising Nazi propaganda is just a vibe? That slurs and incitement are acceptable if you're wearing a suit? 'If a song titled 'Heil Hitler' is now being celebrated by someone sitting in the Australian Senate, what dark corner is left to reach?' Other Aussies were also outraged by Babet's post. 'This outrageous rubbish comes from a senator in the Australian parliament. In my view, he is not a fit and proper person to continue in that role,' one man wrote. Dr Abramovich called Mr Palmer to send a message to all Neo-Nazis. 'I am calling on Clive Palmer to immediately disendorse Senator Ralph Babet and to unequivocally condemn these abhorrent and dehumanising remarks,' he said. 'If he stays silent, he is complicit. 'This is not about left or right. This is about right and wrong. Australia must be better than this. 'The senator says he likes the song. I say this will be remembered as the moment we either stood up or stood by.' Babet was elected to the Senate for Victoria in 2022. He announced he will not run again following his current term, which ends in June 2028.
AU Financial Review
11-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Coal lobby spins electoral defeat to its advantage
Former Liberal MP Jason Falinski was second only to Clive Palmer for the extent to which he clogged up Australians' inboxes in the federal election campaign. As Australians for Prosperity's spokesperson, he was emailing voters daily to urge them to vote for 'economic freedom and common sense' by backing the Coalition.
