Sources responsible for uploading the data claim it won’t be the promised 40GB, but the partial leak is substantial nonetheless, containing over 600 tables of customer information. A brief assessment conducted by Gizmodo deduces the account information released belongs to businesses.

Anonymous released the data in protest to changes being discussed by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS).

The PJCIS is deliberating whether internet service providers (ISPs) should be required to store user activity for a period of two years, providing the government with a transcript of all online user activity. In doing so, Anonymous believe individuals will be stripped of their right to privacy, while intelligence agencies are empowered with information gleaned from personal social networking sites, the likes of Facebook and Twitter.

In a theatrical press release posted to Anonymous’ own PR site, Anonymous claim:

“In the past few years the rise of censorship and filtration of freedom of speech has been on the rise. Our very own governments surveying the very same people who voted and put you, the government, in a position of power and trust.

“Australia, you have failed us! Now expect us!”

This act of protest is not in isolation. On Wednesday the 25th of July, Anonymous hacked ten state government websites in protest. Shortly after, the company then hacked into an AAPT server which is where the leaked information was ascertained.