The Digg Crew wants to hear your thoughts!
Please take our short survey about Digg and potential feature ideas.
Australia's top spy agency has turned to Google to attract new recruits
smh.com.au — Australia's top spy agency ASIO is surfing the net for new recruits as part of a $1 million campaign. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has paid for a "sponsored link" on web search engine Google to find budding spies.
Ultraviolet- 392 diggs
- digg it
- Dimah, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5Our country's going down the tube....
Is this really the best way to find a spy?- shrewd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7how is ASIO publishing vacancies mean anything?
i mean is it reallya surprise that a government agency head-hunts? - synaesthesia, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Of course this is a good way to find a spy; if you can find veteren CIA agents via google then finding new recruits should be a piece of cake.
- Agret, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They were advertising in the paper awhile back
- ThinkBox, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I saw an ad on the side of a milk carton
"have you seen this man"
It was Osama BIn Ladin
under the picture it read
"Get paid to kill him, join ASIO!" - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"Our country's going down the tube...."
What is it with the endless fatalism in our country? We've got the lowest unemployment, the lowest inflation, the most money, some of the best education, great healthcare, a great transit system, stability and freedom. No one is going hungy, people are getting richer, opportunities are endless. And yet, the fatalism continues. There's nothing to justify it. No terrorist attacks, no looming economic or social crisis (well, apart from racism).
I mean, really, the entire country has gone emo!
Why do I get the feeling that Murdoch is behind this? *shakes fist* - battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hey, theone3 ! I know what you think of Canada, now tell us how you feel about the US.
- shrewd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7how is ASIO publishing vacancies mean anything?
- philovivero, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Question from a USian to Aussies: Do your spy agencies do domestic spying on you like ours do on us? Can we queue up the "don't be evil, don't work for these guys" comments now, or would they be out of order?
- Dimah, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3It depends on who you talk to.
- daza, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5As far as I know our (Australian) spy agencies don't "spy" (in the naughty way) on other countries. While I'm sure they gather "intelligence" on other countries, there have been no known Australian spies being caught snooping around other countries or anything like that. Either they don't exist, or they're really really good.
- shrewd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6it's hard to answer that question... nobody actually knows what ASIO does....
- Osjpr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"POLICE and intelligence agencies are to be given sweeping new powers to tap the phones of innocent people who come into contact with terrorism suspects, although a bipartisan committee urged substantial changes to the proposed laws." Keyword here is come into contact with...
http://smh.com.au/news/national/phonetapping-bill-on-the-way/2006/03/29/1143441215871.html - babbling, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Some claim that ASIO may have been responsible for the Sydney Hilton bombing in 1978: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilton_bombing#Speculation_and_conspiracy_theories
They recommended that Scott Parkin, a US peace activist, be deported from Australia. No reason was given, and it seems like there was no good reason to deport him. Authorities in the US were not interested in him, and even welcomed him back: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Parkin
They also investigate the church of scientology (don't they have anything better to do?) and sometimes raid the wrong house: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Security_Intelligence_Organisation#Criticisms_and_Controversies - SoundScape, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2ASIO doesn't do any work. Period.
- alloneword, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6We don't spy on us (aus), we spy on you (US), cause you know, you (CIA) aren't allowed to do stuff internally.
- Fipe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4ASIO does internal intelligence, ASIS (Australian Secret Intelligence Service) does external intelligence. I think. Sort of like the distinction between MI5 and MI6 in the UK. But ASIO and ASIS have a bit of an overlap.
ASIS: "Our primary function is to obtain and distribute intelligence information, not readily available by other means, about the capabilities, intentions and activities of individuals or organisations outside Australia, which may impact on Australian interests, and the well-being of its citizens." - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Australia is part of the UKUSA agreement, so I guess the answer is that by default, our situation is exactly the same as yours.
- NiNiCraftOne, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I think the way it works is that our Canadian eavesdroppers are hard at work listening in on citizens of the US, Australia, UK (and so on), while all your eavesdroppers are listening to us. Governments trade info and can't be accused of domestic spying on it's own citizens. (at least that's how it's rumored to work)
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2A revealing report:
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/broadband/20050704_2115/STORY2hi.ram (realmedia)
Notably, that network and television show is funded by the government, so it's not all bad ;).
- cheekybastard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I bet there are some people from a non-English speaking background at an Indian call center looking for a new job.
- Fosnez, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"In 2005, the Australian government announced its intention to substantially increase ASIO's operational budget, with the aim of increasing the agency's staffing level to nearly 2,000 personnel - double its 2005 level and nearly triple the number of staff in 2001."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Security_Intelligence_Organisation - EmileVictor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I do know that ASIO did do some blatantly racist anti-terrorism busts a few months back. I'm afraid I don't have a link to that story, but I'm sure someone will reply with a decent one.
- darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/arrest-after-asio-raid/2005/08/28/1125167552317.html
Two people are facing fraud charges, one with a prior criminal conviction of car theft
& handling stolen goods. It's not really news, though I find your accusation of "blatant racism" hilarious. Imagine that, two people conspiring to commit a crime & they're of the same ethnic origin. What are the chances of that happening? Nobody here hangs out with anyone of the same ethnic origin *snicker*
- darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/arrest-after-asio-raid/2005/08/28/1125167552317.html
- longzheng, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3http://www.istartedsomething.com/2006/04/looking-for-spies-search-here.html
- maxlew, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5as far as i know all that ASIO does is stop terrorist attacks.
seeing as there have been no attacks in austalia i would say there doing a mighty fine job :D - Rudrasksha, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Ive lived hear for five years and this is the first time I heave heard of ASIO.
- renegade334, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Wow, i've known of ASIO since Primary School.
- Agret, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1You should stop living under a rock with your fingers in your ears then.
- itsonlyb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1How can you not have heard of ASIO for 4 years. Pull your head out of the sand and open your ears.
- geodanny, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4The U.S. CIA has been actively recruiting online for years. Check this position on Hotjobs for Clandestine Service: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobseeker/jobsearch/job_detail.html;_ylt=AnfhEvXqKKsr.xkIizqnlI36Q6IX?job_id=J909679WO
- Kirium, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2ASIO could do with a Jennifer Garner type to really sex up their recruiting drive...
- angryredplanet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Haha, yeah! A typical dialog...
Me: "Hi, What's your name?"
Hot Chick: "Errr, I'm not allowed to disclose that information, but you can call me Jane Smith"
Me: "So Jane, where do you work?"
Hot Chick: "Errr, I'm not allowed to disclose that information"
Me: "Really? What do you do?"
Hot Chick: "Errr, I'm not allowed to disclose that information"
Me: "Where do I sign up?"
- blackmesa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I am from Australia
We have internal (like the FBI) and external (like the CIA) government organisations. Both come under "ASIO" (AFAIK). We spy on other countries, we also "spy" on our own citizens.
Its a very bloated beauracracy.- darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3You've got all your organisations wrong.
The FBI is our AFP - federal police.
ASIO do a bit of what the CIA and NSA do. I guess ;)
The other organisation is not part of ASIO. I'll leave it to you to discover who they are. - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1^ Is of course talking about ASIS. blackmesa has it all wrong, the internal organisation is ASIO, the external is ASIS. Their relationship (as has been stated earlier,) is more like MI-5 and MI-6.
- darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3You've got all your organisations wrong.
- treelovinhippie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'm an Aussie, and I don't know what ASIO actually has done to "ensure the safety of the country".
Although every now and then I have noticed they release some info or just randomly blame some middle-eastern person in Australia of being a terrorist and the media have a field-week with it and put everyone into a state of scare (a bit like what the US government and media does over there, but not as intensely or well-planned and executed).
We haven't had any terrorist attack over here yet, but I'd say when one does happen ASIO won't have known anything about the attack before it hapenning.- darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Most people don't know what ASIO does, and that's the way it should be. They probably have to release info just so people are aware they're doing something (so budget announcements don't raise public eyebrows - "who are these assholes and what are they doing with all that dosh?"). Naturally the left-wing biased media like to do silly things with that info, but there's a simple answer to that - don't read/watch it and don't believe it.
You're wrong on the terrorist attack front, though. What would you call the actions of Martin Bryant - world record holder in single-event people shooting? (much to the annoyance of the yanks with all their 2nd amendment BS ;) Remember it doesn't have to be committed by radical islamics of middle-eastern or south-east asian origin to be construed terrorism.
I'm sure ASIO do a good job. Remember we have been specifically targetted by the Al-Quaeda leader, and he hasn't been able to do diddly-squat to us yet. Considering other events in the world (New York, London, soft middle-eastern targets) it's hard to believe its through lack of trying.
- darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Most people don't know what ASIO does, and that's the way it should be. They probably have to release info just so people are aware they're doing something (so budget announcements don't raise public eyebrows - "who are these assholes and what are they doing with all that dosh?"). Naturally the left-wing biased media like to do silly things with that info, but there's a simple answer to that - don't read/watch it and don't believe it.
- Pengo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Man ASIO is at an all time low.. at least it isnt asking for search results of us fellow non law breaking citizens right?
- grum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Bah, I applied for this job 2 weeks ago... now every geek and their SMH reading dog are gonna be my competition.
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Bwahaha.. They track all web traffic, and now you can be tracked down by them. You kicked yourself while you were down.
- birdwatcher3000, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Aussie Spy Recruiter: a/s/l ?
Aussie 007Candidate: 25/m/Perth
Aussie 007Candidate: u?
Aussie Spy Recruiter: 28/f/Perth
Aussie 007Candidate: huh huh COOL. got a pic of u naked?
Aussie Spy Recruiter: Hmmm yet another NooB. No i don't. Bye.
Aussie 007Candidate: Hey, Who you callin NooB biach?
Aussie Spy Recruiter: Shut up or I'll sell all your epic items on eBAY. ***I know your WOW password.***
Aussie 007Candidate: ...logoff - heavyphotons, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When I started uni a couple of years ago, I picked up a cool little black postcard from amongst all the rest of the pamphlets - it was a recruitment advert for ASIO. :) Still have it somewhere.
Since they're hoping to recruit young people, universities and the Internet are probably great places for them to advertise. I didn't like their terms and conditions for even hearing what a job with them could involve though (but that's hardly unexpected). They really are a very secretive organisation that the public rarely hears anything about. - sarcoma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1all this recuriting and when they say 'Look John, Saddam doesn't have any weapons George is off his tree' the government doesn't even listen
- angryredplanet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh, he did listen to the part where GWB said "If you lend me your support (read: army) I'll give you a free trade agreement." Just look at New Zealand, they refused to be part of the "coallition of the willing" and presto... no trade agreements for them.
- ZachPruckowski, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1um, wouldn't a lot of the smart surfers be using some kind of adblock anyways, and thus not see the ad?
- Inkling, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Aussies have a spy program? That's adorable!
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Australia has an extremely effective, efficient millitary. Very secretive, very swift, very quiet. Even the Brits & the USA were impressed at our performance in Iraq. We need it. All you need to do is look at a world population density map to see why.
- MrGeneric, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1ASIO CIA
They are more like the FBI, they operate within Australia.
Australia does have "spies" but if I told you the name of the organization I'd have to kill you....
;-)
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is