Wired: Cybercrime Solution Has Bugs

“U.S. and European police agencies will receive new powers to
investigate and prosecute computer crimes, according to a
preliminary draft of a treaty being circulated among over 40
nations. … But the details of the “Draft Convention on
Cybercrime” worry U.S. civil libertarians. They warn that the plan
would violate longstanding privacy rights and grant the government
far too much power.”

“Banisar says Article 6 of the measure, titled “Illegal
Devices,” could ban commonplace network security tools like crack
and map, which is included with Linux as a standard utility.
“Companies would be able to criminalize people who reveal security
holes about their products,” Banisar said.”

“I think it’s dangerous for the Internet,” says Barry
Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties
Union and a founder of the Global Internet Liberty Campaign. …
“It will interfere with the ability of hackers — using that term
in a favorable light — to test their own security and the security
of others,” Steinhardt said.”

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