Australian Gov't Asks eBay To Name Big Sellers

beaverdownunder writes "In an effort to combat fraudulent claims lodged within its Centrelink welfare-payment agency, the Australian Government has asked auction-site eBay to name all Aussies who sold more than $20,000 worth of goods in the last year. Should someone be found to have been doing such a high-volume of business on eBay while claiming Centrelink benefits but not declaring that income, they could potentially face prosecution. However, the president of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties, Terry O'Gorman, says this action is a gross invasion of privacy. 'What we say should happen is that if police have probable cause for investigating someone, they go to a magistrate, they get a warrant and they access that person's eBay records that way,' he said."

Comments

Re:I don't see the outrage

[jmorris42]

> Y'all should spend a couple of days living the life of someone on welfare.

Why would I do that? I havta work, millions on welfare depend on me. :) Seriously, it does piss me off when I'm in the checkout line in Walmart behind people buying food I can't afford (snow crab!?!) and they whip out the ol Louisiana Purchase card. I'm buying Sam's Choice and these clowns wouldn't dream of settling for a store brand. Because they don't have to.

And it isn't anything new. My first job was bagging groceries way back in the late '70s and it was just as bad then. Loading up the trunk/bed of new Lincolns, Caddies and F100 Pickups (as in temp plates) with stuff I certainly didn't get to eat growing up as poor but not on the dole. But I was certainly 'rich' enough to be 'paying my fair share' to help fund that bull crap according to my pay stub.