FITUG e.V. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft

BBC: Cybercrime Treaty gets green light

------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Owen Blacker <owen.blacker@wheel.co.uk> To: UK Crypto list <ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk> Subject: BBC: Cybercrime Treaty gets green light Date sent: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 13:45:34 -0000 Send reply to: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1651000/1651381.stm

| Monday, 12 November, 2001, 13:15 GMT | Cybercrime treaty gets green light | | A controversial treaty that tries to tackle cybercrime has been | adopted by the 43-nation Council of Europe. | | The treaty outlaws some online activities such as fraud and child | pornography, clarifies some jurisdictional issues and outlines what | police forces can do when pursuing computer criminals. | | The treaty is due to be signed by member states later this month, | but it will take years to be formally adopted and influence | legislation in the individual countries taking it up. | | Critics say the treaty grants sweeping snooping powers to police | forces, but does little to protect online privacy and liberty. An | early draft of the treaty was condemned as "appalling" by pressure | groups. | | Cybercrime blueprint | | The treaty tries to standardise just what constitutes cybercrime and | allows national police forces to ask their overseas counterparts to | help with investigations or even detain suspects wanted in | connection with the crimes they commit overseas. | | The treaty passed through more than 27 drafts before reaching its | final version. | | The final document is widely seen as a blueprint that will be | followed by other regional organisations and governments when | updating existing laws or drafting similar legislation. | | Member states will get a chance to sign the treaty at a cybercrime | conference taking place in Budapest on 23 November. | | The treaty comes into force once five nations, including at least | three that are CoE members, have ratified it. Already the US, Japan | and Canada have been invited to adopt the treaty. | | Democratic conflict | | Critics of the treaty have few complaints about what it categorises | as criminal, but they do worry that the powers it grants to police | forces could erode online privacy. | | Many nations, such as the UK, already have in place legislation that | lets police forces monitor online life, and some experts fear that | these powers will be extended by nations adopting the treaty. | | Early drafts of the treaty brought the condemnation of the Global | Internet Liberty Campaign - a broad coalition of more than 30 | groups, which includes civil libertarians, think-tanks, ethical | hackers and academics. | | GILC expressed its misgivings about the treaty in a letter released | late last year. | | It said the process by which the treaty was drafted was "at odds | with democratic decision making" because much of it was done in | secret. | | The letter said the treaty's "lack of consideration towards civil | liberties was appalling" and called on the Council to redraft it. | | [ends]

Zurück