Australia considers email snoop powers for bosses: minister

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h73xW0gB_AoDVqvNHMppBNnIi5Tg

SYDNEY (AFP) — Bosses will be able to spy on workers' emails without consent under new anti-terror laws being considered in Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Monday.

The proposal is being flagged by the government to prevent a cyber attack on critical national infrastructure such as the stock exchange, electricity grid or transport system.

"We want to make sure that they are safe from terrorist attack," Gillard said. "Part of doing that is making sure we've got the right powers to ensure that we can tell if there's something unusual going on in the system."

The suggestion has angered civil libertarians, who say the proposal was open to abuse.

"Our concern is, that if given these powers, they're more likely to be used for eavesdropping and corporate witch hunts rather than protecting Australia from some kind of cyber attack," Dale Clapperton, chair of the independent Internet rights watchdog Electronic Frontiers Australia, told ABC radio.