Australia’s surveillance technology, as reported

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Date	Source	Story	Location
Aug 17	defenceconnect.com.au ($)	Concerns raised about new military phone-cracking tech proposed for NSW Police Force↗ defenceconnect.com.au ($) Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Aug 14	Sydney Criminal Lawyers	The Principle of Policing by Consent Is Falling Across Australia↗ Sydney Criminal Lawyers Drones / UAS+, ExpansionFace recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales, Australia au/nsw Western Australia au/wa
Aug 12	inkl ($)	WA police is using live facial recognition to make arrests. This trial is testing privacy law↗ inkl ($) More coverage: The Conversation Fusion & data sharing+, ExpansionFace recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Aug 12	News.com.au	Aus ‘mass surveillance exercise’ slammed↗ News.com.aualso carried by 1 other outlet Face recognition	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Aug 11	Daily Mail ($)	Victoria Police faces compensation nightmare as woman launches lawsuit over policeman lover allegedly 'tracking her using the state's CCTV'↗ Daily Mail ($) Fixed cameras & RTCC	Victoria Police, Australia au/vic/police/victoria-police
Aug 11	Biometric Update	Western Australia Police criticized for cutting corners on LFR consultation, PIA↗ Biometric Update Face recognition	Western Australia au/wa
Aug 11	themercury.com.au ($)	Defence experts unleash on ‘embarrassing’ drone breaches at RAAF base↗ themercury.com.au ($) New contract Drones / UAS+, Expansion	New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Aug 11	News.com.au	Mystery drones circle Australia’s stealth jets↗ News.com.au New contract Drones / UAS+, Expansion	Victoria, Australia au/vic
Aug 11	berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au	Police mobile CCTV trailers to launch in Casey↗ berwicknews.starcommunity.com.aualso carried by 1 other outlet More coverage: Pakenham Gazette Fixed cameras & RTCC+, Expansion	Victoria Police, Australia au/vic/police/victoria-police
Aug 11	defenceconnect.com.au ($)	Australia must learn and adapt response from RAAF Base Williamtown drone incident, say industry experts↗ defenceconnect.com.au ($) More coverage: Australian Aviation Drones / UAS+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Aug 11	Mirage News	Police Drone Petition Launched for Mid North Coast↗ Mirage News More coverage: The National Tribune Drones / UAS+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Aug 10	ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation	AUDIO: Australian-first mass police AI pilot sparks concern↗ ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Aug 10	The Macleay Argus ($)	'I don't sleep at night': community calls for drone surveillance in Kempsey↗ The Macleay Argus ($) Drones / UAS	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Aug 10	Mirage News	Crime Reforms Mask Civil Liberties Threat↗ Mirage News Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Aug 10	ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation	Police mass AI surveillance pilot draws rebuke from privacy experts↗ ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation Schools & transit+, ExpansionFace recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Aug 9	SMBtech	Huge Concern Over Minns Government Giving NSW Police Warrant-Free Usage Of Anti-Terrorism Phone Access Tools↗ SMBtech Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Aug 7	Mirage News	New CCTV Cameras Supporting Safer Communities↗ Mirage News More coverage: Barnet Post Fixed cameras & RTCC+, Expansion	Victoria, Australia au/vic Victoria Police, Australia au/vic/police/victoria-police
Aug 6	DroneXL	NSW PolAir Remote Drone Finds Hidden Woman In Moree↗ DroneXL Drones / UAS+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Aug 6	7news.com.au	NSW driver’s licences set to join nationwide database in a bid to curb organised crime↗ 7news.com.au More coverage: weeklytimes.com.au · Sydney Criminal Lawyers Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales, Australia au/nsw New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Aug 6	noosatoday.com.au	Cooroy CCTV upgrade↗ noosatoday.com.au Fixed cameras & RTCC+, Expansion	Queensland Police Service, Australia au/qld/police/queensland-police-service
Aug 6	The Nightly	National database of licence pics possible to tackle crime↗ The Nightly Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales, Australia au/nsw South Australia au/sa Western Australia au/wa
Aug 6	ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation	Major change to NSW drivers licences to crack down on identity fraud↗ ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Aug 5	thesenior.com.au	Push for more access in digital crime-fighting age↗ thesenior.com.aualso carried by 2 other outlets Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force South Australia au/sa Western Australia au/wa
Aug 5	Mirage News	NSW Unveils New Laws Targeting Organised Crime↗ Mirage News More coverage: The National Tribune · Inside State Government · Biometric Update · 7NEWS Face recognition+, Expansion	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Aug 4	newsfromwales.co.uk	Zaynub Akbar MS calls on South Wales Police to trial drones against illegal e-bikes along Taff Trail in Cardiff↗ newsfromwales.co.uk Drones / UAS	South Wales Police, UK gb/police/south-wales-police Gloucestershire Constabulary, UK gb/police/gloucestershire-constabulary Victoria Police, Australia au/vic/police/victoria-police
Jul 31	PerthNow	Council moves to ensure AI isn’t ‘abused’ in new CCTV policy↗ PerthNow Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa
Jul 28	Brisbane Times ($)	State rejects nightlife czar’s push for extended retail, end to ID scans↗ Brisbane Times ($) Face recognition−, Reduction	Queensland, Australia au/qld
Jul 28	drive.com.au	This state is using drones to catch car thieves, plus dangerous e-bike and motorcycle riders↗ drive.com.aualso carried by 1 other outlet Drones / UAS+, Expansion	Victoria Police, Australia au/vic/police/victoria-police New South Wales, Australia au/nsw Western Australia au/wa
Jul 22	7NEWS	Experts sound the alarm over AI facial recognition trial scanning more than 130,000 Australians in just one week↗ 7NEWS Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa
Jul 21	Biometric Update	Western Australia’s LFR trial draws criticism over privacy risks, limited consultation↗ Biometric Update Fusion & data sharing+, ExpansionFace recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa
Jul 21	The Mercury ($)	How drones are helping find missing people↗ The Mercury ($) Drones / UAS+, Expansion	Queensland, Australia au/qld
Jul 19	2GB	‘Harden up’ – Lawyer claims police drones are racist and causing anxiety↗ 2GB Drones / UAS	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Jul 19	The Guardian	WA police facial recognition trial launches with a real-time arrest – and backlash over privacy↗ The Guardian More coverage: 7NEWS Fusion & data sharing+, ExpansionFace recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa
Jul 16	Nine.com.au	‘A game changer’: Crime rates plummet in regional town thanks to police drones↗ Nine.com.au Drones / UAS+, Expansion	New South Wales, Australia au/nsw
Jul 9	echonewspaper.com.au	Facial recognition trial targets Swan↗ echonewspaper.com.au Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa
Jul 7	The Northern Daily Leader ($)	Moree drone trial already hailed a success after helping police with arrests↗ The Northern Daily Leader ($) Drones / UAS	New South Wales Police Force, Australia au/nsw/police/new-south-wales-police-force
Jul 2, 2026	SMH.com.au ($)	Australian-first facial recognition cameras hailed a success by police↗ SMH.com.au ($) Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa
Jul 2, 2026	Yahoo News Australia	AI-assisted face-scanning tech nabbing wanted people↗ Yahoo News Australia Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Jun 23, 2026	Cyber Daily ($)	Civil liberties organisation rails against deployment of facial recognition tech by WA Police↗ Cyber Daily ($) More coverage: SecurityBrief Australia Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Jun 19, 2026	The Mandarin ($)	‘Massive overreach’: Police to deploy Australian-first surveillance↗ The Mandarin ($) More coverage: RNZ · 7NEWS Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Jun 19, 2026	ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation	'Not about mass surveillance': WA Police first in country to use live facial recognition↗ ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Jun 18, 2026	Nine.com.au	WA police surveillance cameras: AI technology to monitor public spaces↗ Nine.com.au More coverage: SMH.com.au Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia Police Force au/wa/police/western-australia-police-force
Jun 18, 2026	The West Australian ($)	Real-time facial recognition sees WA cops go Big Brother↗ The West Australian ($) Face recognition+, Expansion	Western Australia au/wa

No stories match the current filters.

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