Services Australia has given smartphone-hacking technology to the Department of Education and other agencies to help investigate fraud. Services Australia shared Cellebrite with other agencies when they were investigating suspected criminals who defrauded multiple government programs.
According to Services Australia’s deputy CEO Chris Birner, people committing financial offenses against the government often use multiple payments, such as those from the Department of Education or the National Disability Insurance Agency.
The Department of Education stated that it has used Cellebrite only three times since 2018 for high-level fraud and investigations, particularly related to child care subsidy fraud. Services Australia responded to questions about the use of Cellebrite and which agencies had access to it.
When asked if the use of Cellebrite aligned with the joint statement on stricter controls against commercial spyware, Services Australia rejected the idea, considering it a legitimate investigation and law enforcement tool.
Cellebrite is used specifically for serious non-compliance investigations, which are criminal in nature, and not for general customer compliance issues.The threshold for commencing a serious non-compliance investigation is when it becomes a criminal investigation, not just an engagement with a customer over an overpayment.
Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner stated that the retention of data after an investigation depends on the specific evidence and circumstances. Investigative journalist Anthony Lowenstein reported that 128 contracts between Cellebrite and various Australian government agencies have been published since 2011, including the Australian Border Force, the Australian Tax Office, and Sports Integrity Australia.