For the first time, the Australian Government is making public an analysis of the foreign interference and espionage threats we face, what government is doing to confront them, and what businesses and individuals can do to protect themselves.
Countering Foreign Interference in Australia: Working together towards a more secure Australia spells out who is most at risk from foreign interference, and provides information that will help all Australians protect themselves and their communities.
Foreign interference is a crime under Australian law and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Foreign interference and espionage threatens Australia's sovereignty, democracy, values and national interests. We are the target of sophisticated and persistent foreign interference activities from a range of countries.
The threat of foreign interference applies across the whole Australian community, but members of our diaspora communities are often at greater risk from foreign governments seeking to restrict or direct their participation in community or political affairs.
Our democratic institutions can also be a target. Globally, foreign governments have attempted to undermine democracies through electoral, political and bureaucratic interference.
Foreign governments can also attempt to covertly influence, coerce, or corrupt political candidates, political staff or government officials to serve foreign interests.
Industry can be targeted through the use of business arrangements to acquire Australian research and technology for the commercial and military advantage of other countries.
Australian universities can also be targeted, including the theft of intellectual property, redirecting sensitive research and silencing freedom of speech.
Foreign interference in the media can involve the recruitment or deception of journalists and other media professionals in an attempt to artificially promote the popularity, reach, and volume of content that supports foreign narratives.
The Australian Government has implemented a range of measures to respond to the risks created by foreign interference, including through the use of a robust legal framework.
Several taskforces have been established which draw upon the unique skillsets offered by different Australian Government departments and agencies to counter foreign interference including the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce (CFI Taskforce) co-led by ASIO and the AFP, the University Foreign Interference Taskforce (UFIT), Technology Foreign Interference Taskforce (TechFIT) and Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce (EIAT).
The Counter Foreign Interference Coordination Centre (CFICC), which sits within the Department of Home Affairs, supports the National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator to coordinate whole of government efforts to counter foreign interference.
