New laws to catch criminals using video games like Fortnite to hatch evil plots

POLICE and spy agencies will gain the power to read private messages on web-based computer games like Fortnite and Call of Duty in a boost to the fight against terrorists, ­paedophiles and organised crime.

POLICE and spy agencies will gain the power to read private messages on web-based computer games like Fortnite and Call of Duty in a boost to the fight against terrorists, paedophiles and organised crime.

The government will force global technology giants and Australian telecommunications firms to hand over information, including encrypted conversations, so authorities can expose and catch criminals.

The crackdown will also compel companies, including Apple and Google, to hand over Global Positioning System data from mobile phones and computers.

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Fortnite and Call of Duty are from a genre of video games, popular with millions of children and adults worldwide, in which players “battle” to eliminate each other online.

The federal government says there is an urgent need for the laws to be passed.

In the past 12 months alone, authorities have been unable to get access to encrypted data in about 200 cases of terrorism and of serious crime, including drug trafficking and child sex offences.

Law Enforcement and Cyber Sec­urity Minister Angus Taylor told the Herald Sun that the investigations being frustrated all involved “heinous” crimes.

“If we don’t do this, we are giving criminals a place to hide,” he said.

Law Enforcement and Cyber Sec­urity Minister Angus Taylor.

Mr Taylor said: “They have been using these technologies to hide their heinous acts — for example, child sex networks — and without this legislation, there is a risk of them getting away with it.”

More than 90 per cent of data intercepted by the Australian Federal Police uses some form of encryption.

Under the proposed law, to be unveiled by the government today, companies will have to reveal which phone applications criminals are using and allow police and spy agencies to read private messages exchanged on web-based games.

Companies will have to allow police and spy agencies to read private messages exchanged on web-based games like Fortnite. Picture: Supplied

Those that don’t comply would face penalties of up to $10 million; individuals could be fined as much as $50,000 and jailed for five years.

The government has backtracked on plans to force tech giants to break encryptions used by apps such as Whats­App and wickr, or hand over a person’s phone password.

Mr Taylor said he was committed to protecting people’s personal information.

“We don’t need to ask companies to break encryption systems to get what we need, as we don’t want to stop encryption. It’s a good thing, and can protect people from criminals, including cyber criminals.”

But he said the new laws were needed to deal with the “rapid take-up” of encrypted messaging. “These reforms will allow … agencies to access spec­ific communications by those who seek to do us harm.

“Our first priority is keeping Australians safe and these measures will go a long way to ensuring that criminals cannot hide,” Mr Taylor said.

The new laws would expand and broaden authorities’ powers to cover more companies, possibly including web giants and operators of web-based games overseas.

Concern has been rising in recent years about criminals building fake online gaming networks to communicate.

Law enforcement and spy agencies can only access information from domestic telcos under agreements, but powers are limited. For example, investigators can watch data being deleted but can’t copy it.

Mr Taylor said the big telcos in Australia were experienced in dealing with authorities, and the new laws would force a lot of the “smaller players” to work better with police and spy agencies.

The public will have a chance to make submissions to the government on the Bill.

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