[Infowarrior] - Senate ratifies COE Cybercrime Treaty

[Richard Forno]

 Senate ratifies cybercrime treaty

1 hour, 6 minutes ago

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The Senate has ratified a treaty under which the United States will join
more than 40 other countries, mainly from Europe, in fighting crimes
committed via the Internet.

The Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime, ratified late Thursday, is
the first international treaty seeking to address Internet crimes by
harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques and increasing
cooperation among nations.

The convention had been signed by 38 European nations plus the United
States, Canada, Japan and South Africa, as of the end of 2005. It was opened
for signature in 2001.

"While balancing civil liberty and privacy concerns, this treaty encourages
the sharing of critical electronic evidence among foreign countries so that
law enforcement can more effectively investigate and combat these crimes,"
said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

The convention targets hackers, those spreading destructive computer
viruses, those using the Internet for the sexual exploitation of children or
the distribution of racist material and terrorists attempting to attack
infrastructure facilities or financial institutions.

"This treaty provides important tools in the battles against terrorism,
attacks on computer networks, and the sexual exploitation of children over
the Internet, by strengthening U.S. cooperation with foreign countries in
obtaining electronic evidence," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said. "The
Convention is in full accord with all U.S. constitutional protections, such
as free speech and other civil liberties, and will require no change to U.S.
laws."

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