Agency has had access to Locate X since at least 2021, documents show, amid questions about use of data that may contain people’s sensitive information
Home Affairs acknowledges using technology from US intelligence company Babel Street but won’t discuss how it is used or which data sources it has access to.Home Affairs acknowledges using technology from US intelligence company Babel Street but won’t discuss how it is used or which data sources it has access to.Home Affairs has paid an American intelligence company to access Locate X, a controversial tool that can track the movement of smartphones.
A spokesperson said it “collects commercially available and publicly available online information where it is necessary to support the department’s and Australian Border Force’s specific functions and activities, and where it is proportionate and in accordance with the law”. The use of such products raises questions about how government agencies use commercially available data that may contain sensitive information about Australians, according to Samantha Floreani of Digital Rights Watch.
Staff appeared to be running up against a system warning about “too many devices at location”. Home Affairs also upgraded the tool with “premium” licences, but the documents do not reveal what extra functionalities and data are provided.