The contentious Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (TIA Act) has been the subject of a rough debate in the Australian parliament. Despite earlier promises, a federal senator alleges agencies arent tracking or protecting access to sensitive telecommunications metadata. The security of Australians personal metadata has been compromised by the governments cavalier disregard for hard-fought protections implemented to protect it. The legislation has, according to the latest annual report into its operation, cost Australian telecommunications providers $229 million so far, with agencies paying them $46 million for access to the data.”]