MEAA is concerned at the increase in the use of secret Journalist Information Warrants to access journalists' telecommunications data for the purpose of identifying journalists' confidential sources. According to the 2018-19 annual report of the Telecommunications (Interception an Access) Act 1979, Australian Federal Police were granted six warrants to access journalists' data on 20 occasions. In the previous year access was made 58 times using just two warrants.
MEAA and media organisations have repeatedly warned politicians about the threat to press freedom through the use of these secret warrants. MEAA chief executive Paul Murphy said: "The Journalist Information Warrant is utterly flawed and is dangerous. It undermines the public's right to know. It has a chilling effect on public interest journalism. It threatens confidential sources and whistleblowers and means they will think twice before making any contact with the media through any form of telecommunication.
