#HeyASIO: Are you reading this?

The first round of anti-terror legislation has passed the Senate and will now head to the House of Reps.

The new Director General of ASIO, Duncan Lewis (left) and Attorney General Senator George Brandis face the media at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: News Corp Australia

A MOVE to grant Australia's security agency broad new powers has not scared the internet, with Twitter users mocking the changes mercilessly.

Last night, the Senate passed new laws to grant the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) power to, essentially, monitor the entire country's internet usage with only one warrant.

Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman and barrister Greg Barns has slammed the laws, saying the spy agency could do "an enormous amount under one warrant".

Australia has no specific laws that protect privacy, so innocent people who may be monitored have "very little by way of redress in legal terms".

Mr Barns told news.com.au the law had been drafted in "such a shoddy way" as to allow the agency to spy on as many as five million Australians with one warrant.

"Effectively it's zero for the internet user and 10 for ASIO. We think it's of enormous concern," he said.

The internet has hit back in its own way, with the hashtag #HeyASIO trending in Australia.