Overhaul of ‘dog’s breakfast’ surveillance laws could see spies getting greater access to smartphones

The age of the smartphone is forcing a software update of Australia’s spy laws.

Laws governing phone intercepts by Australia’s intelligence agencies, first drafted more than 40 years ago, are to be dragged into the 21st century as a result of a wide-ranging inquiry into the way agencies go about their work, recently released by the Federal Government.

The current laws have been labelled “a dog’s breakfast”.

Running to 1,300 pages and making 204 recommendations, the inquiry by former Australian…