Director of the Australian Signals Directorate, Rachel Noble, has confirmed the government agency have spied on Australians over the last year by seeking to extend its powers in a number of cases.
Noble indicated the agency had produced intelligence about Australians.
This revelation comes after the home affairs department secretary, Michael Pezzullo, confirmed there is ‘detailed consideration’ underway to better use law enforcement to tackle the dark web.
Noble said that the ASD is limited by legislation and can only produce intelligence on Australian persons in rare circumstances; she stated that it was an important safeguard that is fundamental to ASD’s work.
She also confirmed, in response to a question raised by Senator Jacqui Lambie's, that these "rare circumstances" had occurred in the last twelve months, justifying the production of intelligence on Australians.