NSW police overusing ‘highly intrusive’ legal powers to monitor phones and computers, national watchdog finds

Commonwealth ombudsman also finds Victoria and Queensland police not keeping adequate records

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The New South Wales police force is overusing intrusive technology to monitor the phones and computers of people suspected of committing less serious crime, the commonwealth ombudsman has found.

The watchdog said Victoria and Queensland police were not keeping sufficient records to justify their use of the electronic surveillance powers, while NSW police “were unable to demonstrate” they were meeting the requirements of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979.