Overview -- Not Really About Cybercrime 09/08/2004

Cybercrime and other 'hacking' related crimes are serious problems that require indepth study and serious consideration. While trying to find legislative solutions to, say, criminalising hacking, governments are in fact also enhancing their control of the Internet and promoting surveillance in the name of preventing "cyber-crime," "information warfare" or protecting "critical infrastructures."

The lead bodies internationally are the Council of Europe and the G-8, while there has also been some activity within the European Union. The United States has been active behind the scenes in developing and promoting these efforts. After meeting behind closed doors for years, these organizations finally, in 2000, made public proposals that would place restrictions on online privacy and anonymity in the name of preventing cyber-crime.

News and Developments

G8 Meeting of Justice Ministers Begins - declaring laundry list 15/06/2005
From June 15 to 17 the ministers of justice and home affairs from the eight countries within the G8 will be meeting in Sheffield. Their list of policies that they wish to launder under claims of 'international obligations' is wide and dangerous, as ever.

Canada Releases Lawful Access Consultation Document (PDF) 29/08/2002
Intending to ratify the Council of Europe Convention and considering many G8 surveillance proposals, Canada released a consultation document regarding lawful access to electronic information including proposals to gain access to subscriber and traffic data. Privacy International has archived the consultation document.

Legal and Policy Developments

Governmental Organizational Legal Measures to Protect Information Processes in Ukraine (external) 15/08/2004
Overview of Ukranian legislation on computer crime and security issues by Victor Sabadash of the Computer Crime Research Center

US Senate Hearings on Ratification of Cybercrime Treaty (external) 17/06/2004
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held headings in 17 June 2004 on ratifying the COE Cybercrime Treaty. EPIC also sent a letter to the committee opposing ratification.

COE Internet and the law Report (external) 06/02/2004
Parliamentary Assembly - Internet and the law. Doc. 10064 6 February 2004 Report Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Rapporteur: Mr Christos Pourgourides, Cyprus, Group of the European People's Party

PI Reports

ITU Publishes PI report on Policy Laundering (external) 23/07/2005
The International Telecommunications Union, a UN-level organisation, released a report presented by PI at their meeting on cyber-security. The report points out the risks of harmonising laws by looking at the cybercrime convention, data retention agreements, and the implications for free expression.

Report to EU Forum on Data Retention 27/11/2001
The European Commission held a forum on November 27 on requiring Internet Service Providers and other telecommunications companies to retain transactional information about users' activites. EU Working Paper. See online Discussion on Data Retention.

International Standards and Agreements

APEC - Leader's Statement on Fighting Terrorism & Promoting Growth (2002) 26/10/2002
In the aftermath of the terrorist bombing in Bali 2002, APEC met to implement measures to 'protect' people in transit by implementing a common global standard based on UN EDIFACT for the collection and transmission of advance passenger information. They also looked towards adopting standards for application of biometrics in entry and (where applicable) exit procedures and travel documents.

Other Documents

Australian Parliamentary Committee Report on Law Enforcement Implications of New Technology (PDF) 28/08/2001
The Committee report considers the increasing amount of evidence that emerging technology, most particularly in the communications and information fields, as playing an ever more pervasive role in both criminal behaviour and law enforcement activity. We have archived their final report.

Links and Other Resources

Civil Society Participation to the policy making process of the Turkish Government in relation to the development of an Information Society in Turkey 04/07/2004