Australia’s major media companies, industry lobby groups and the media union say any changes to an exemption for journalists in the nation’s privacy laws would have a “chilling” effect on reporting and journalism.

In a submission filed with the Attorney General late last week, the Australia’s Right To Know (ARTK) coalition said it would “strenuously” oppose a raft of reforms to Australia’s privacy laws that would give the information regulator search and seizure powers and make it harder for journalists to do their job.