Spy bill costs bill be passed onto consumers - telco group
Phone companies support the Telco Intercept Bill, but have a warning on costs.
Telecos support a new spy bill which obliges them to provide backdoors to their data to surveillance agencies, says NZ Telecommunications Forum CEO David Stone.
Speaking on TV3’s The Nation, Mr Stone said the Telecommunication Interception Capability and Security (TICS) bill was an improvement on the 2004 Act which had deficiencies.
Though he said emails weren’t necessary private thanks to the backdoor, he said it was necessary to protect against threats in the changing world.
“The way people create harm is changing.
“We have to change the world, the environment, to enable our kids to be safe.”
Despite being required to provide the backdoor by the government, Telecos will have to bear the cost of creating interception capabilities in their systems.
“Inevitably it has to be funded somehow, and it’s the consumer that will bear that.”
NZ Telecommunications Forum represents 90% of the internet and voice connection business in New Zealand, including companies such as Telecom, Vodafone and Orson.
NBR staff
Sun, 25 Aug 2013
Sun, 25 Aug 2013
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Spy bill costs bill be passed onto consumers - telco group
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