Governments are in the business of doxing people now, so that's great

The message is hardly subtle: Write something we don't like and we'll dox you.

The Australian government's welfare agency released a writer's personal details after she penned a critical article about its debt collection. Does that seem like a petty, horrible precedent? Well, yes.

On Feb. 6, writer Andie Fox published an article about her experience with the social services provider, Centrelink, after being contacted by a debt collector. It was, she wrote, "a vortex of humiliating and frustrating bureaucratic procedures."

Weeks later, details of her case (some of which were incorrect, according to Fox) showed up in a Fairfax Media article -- all provided to the journalist by Centrelink itself.

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Horrified and questioning the legality of the leak, she wrote on her personal blog Sunday that "something is going very, very wrong in government policy." That seems a fair reaction, although according to Human Services Minister Alan Tudge, it's all above board.

"In cases where people have gone to the media with statements that are incorrect or misleading which are printed or broadcast, we are able under the Social Services Act to release information about the person for the purposes of, I quote, 'correcting a mistake of fact, a misleading perception or impression, or a misleading statement in relation to a welfare recipient,'" he said in parliament Tuesday. "That is what the law allows."

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What "the law allows" and what is right are clearly separate. And to be sure, the question of whether this was legal is hardly settled yet, no matter what Tudge said.

Centrelink has been the target of sustained criticism for its robo-debt scheme since late 2016. An automated system rolled out to detect overpayments made to welfare recipients, it's been accused of sending incorrect notices to student, single mothers, pensioners and many others.

The government can now hold the threat of disclosing personal information over the heads of people who might attempt to hold it accountable -- a development that must necessarily have a chilling effect.

Linda Burney, the shadow minister for human services, said smearing those who speak out is quite separate from correcting the record.

"The Minister is effectively targeting and intimidating those who have told their stories publicly," she said. "It is troubling to me that the government is acting in such an vindictive manner, they are free to attack me or the opposition but attacking members of the public is entirely inappropriate."

On Twitter, Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam wrote the report was "sick."

"Whoever authorised this hostile drop deserves to spend some time in the #centrelink queue themselves," he wrote.

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Australian Information Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim said his office was making inquiries, but a DHS spokesperson maintained the department would continue to release information when it deemed appropriate.

"Personal information obtained about a welfare recipient may be used by the department for social security law or family assistance law purposes," she said. "Unfounded allegations unnecessarily undermine confidence and takes staff effort away from dealing with other claims."

One might say acting out a revenge fantasy against a lone blogger is also a waste of "staff effort," but never mind.