OFFICIAL

Dear M.M,

I refer to your request dated 27 May 2025, seeking access to documents
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) as follows:

Request:

I request access to all internal policies, technology briefings, and
operational procedures developed between 2015 and 2024 concerning the use
of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, Bluetooth scanning, beacon
tracking, and personal device telemetry for domestic surveillance
purposes.

This includes references to third-party tools, mobile tracking
technologies, or partnerships with private software or intelligence
vendors.

Timeframe – Seeking your agreement to an extension of time:

Upon consideration of your request, the AFP is of the view that your
request will take longer than 30 days to process.  The delay is
regrettable, however, due to an excessive number of requests that have
come through our office it will not be possible to advise you of a
decision by 26 June 2025.

Accordingly, pursuant to section 15AA of the Act, I seek your agreement to
extend the period by 30 days to notify you of a decision by 28 July 2025.

I would be grateful if you would advise this office in writing of your
agreement to the proposed extension of time by close of business Tuesday,
3 June 2025.

Consents – Please provide your response:

Please advise this office whether you consent to exclude the following
information:

o Identifying information of AFP members and Commonwealth employees
below SES level (names, ID numbers, signatures, images) (AFP members
and Commonwealth employees);
o AFP and Commonwealth agency contact details other than the official
public channels (direct telephone numbers and email addresses);
o Job titles of AFP members and Commonwealth employees below SES;
o Draft documents;
o Personal information of any individual other than you from the
documents you are seeking;
o Information provided by third parties to the AFP from the documents
you are seeking;
o All information about any third parties from the documents you are
seeking;
o Duplicate documents; and
o Documents you have already provided to us, or that we have already
sent to you.

Information Publication Scheme:

Please be advised that effective 1 May 2011 and in accordance with section
8(2) of the Act, an agency is required to publish information on the AFP
website following the notification of a decision in respect of a freedom
of information request. Details of the decision will be published in a
Disclosure Log which can be found at
[1]https://www.afp.gov.au/about-us/informat....

The requirement to publish information released under FOI reinforces the
objectives of the FOI Act to promote a pro-disclosure culture across
government, and to increase recognition that information held by
government is a national resource. Exceptions to the requirement to
publish information would apply to personal information and information
concerning the business affairs of a person if it was considered
‘unreasonable’ to do so. 

If however, after noting the above, you wish to raise any concerns about
the publication of information concerning your request prior to the
notification of a decision, please advise the AFP in writing before 26
June 2025

If you have any queries in relation to this matter, please do not hesitate
to contact our team at [2][AFP request email].

Yours sincerely,

AFP 28349

AFP 28349
FOI SUPPORT OFFICER | GENERAL COUNSEL - CORPORATE
CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL
[3]Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police acknowledges the Traditional Owners and
Custodians of Country
throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and
community. We pay
our respects to First Nations people, culture and Elders past, present and
emerging.

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OFFICIAL

Dear M.M,

Thank you for your providing your agreement to the request for extension
of time to process your request to 28 July 2025.

In relation to the further information provided in your response, are you
intending to have this added to the scope of your request?

If so, please advise that the following revision of your scope is correct:

Request:

I request access to all internal policies, technology briefings, and
operational procedures developed between 2015 and 2024 concerning the use
of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, Bluetooth scanning, beacon
tracking, and personal device telemetry for domestic surveillance
purposes.

Any and all material referencing third-party vendors, tools, or
partnerships, including:

o Private software or surveillance firms

o Intelligence or law enforcement technology providers

o Telecommunications and data service partners

o External toolkits or platforms used in any operational, test, or pilot
capacity

This includes, but is not limited to, technologies related to:

o Bluetooth surveillance and BLE beacon scanning

o Mobile device telemetry

o Wi-Fi tracking, IMSI catchers, and cell-site simulation

o OSINT tools such as Maltego, Shodan, Palantir, Babel Street, Fog
Reveal, WiGLE, and similar platforms

o Cross-agency technology programs, pilot projects, and capability
development partnerships

Please confirm if the above scope is correct, noting that once confirmed
it is likely that revision of your scope will be required as it is likely
to be too broad in its current form.

Please provide a response to this email by 17 June 2025 in order to
progress your request.

Kind Regards,

DANIEL (AFP 27683)
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICER | COMMERCIAL, GOVERNANCE & INFORMATION

AFP LEGAL – CORPORATE | CHIEF COUNSEL PORTFOLIO
[1]Australian Federal Police

The Australian Federal Police acknowledges the Traditional Owners and
Custodians of Country
throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and
community. We pay
our respects to First Nations people, culture and Elders past, present and
emerging.

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.afp.gov.au/

OFFICIAL

Dear M.M.

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request for access
to documents held by the Australian Federal Police under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cth),  LEX 4120.

Kind Regards,

JORDYN (AFP 27543)
PARALEGAL, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION | COMMERCIAL, GOVERNANCE & INFORMATION
AFP LEGAL – CORPORATE | CHIEF COUNSEL PORTFOLIO
[1]Australian Federal Police

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.afp.gov.au/