Australia’s spy chief says journalists are ‘ideal cover’ for foreign agents, cites Chinese attempt to recruit local reporter
Meanwhile, law and media organisations called for further amendments to espionage bill to protect journalism and innocent dealing with protected information
Australia’s intelligence agency has warned that media organisations should not be exempt from foreign interference laws because spy agencies would recruit journalists to exploit the loophole.
The director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Duncan Lewis, told a parliamentary committee on Friday that journalism provided an “ideal cover” for foreign spies to seek information that harmed Australia’s interests.
Asio’s evidence to the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security comes after the Law Council and media organisations called for further amendments to the espionage bill to protect journalism and innocent dealing with protected information.
The espionage bill contains prison sentences of up to 20 years for dealing with or publishing protected information such as material that is harmful or likely to harm Australia’s interests.
The attorney general, Christian Porter, has already agreed to a host of changes to the espionage bill, including a defence for journalists who “reasonably believe” that dealing with or communicating information is in the public interest.