In the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, 65 countries signed a new UN Convention against Cybercrime, which provides for the exchange of information and the mutual extradition of suspects. The document will enter into force upon ratification, reports Nikkei Asia.
The convention obliges member states to criminalize ten types of cybercrime – from unauthorized access to systems to data falsification – and to provide evidence, including electronic correspondence, upon request by other countries. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, support for the document should form a “global collective response” digital threats.
At the same time, human rights organizations and technology companies warn that the agreement could become a tool for excessive surveillance. Representatives of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, an association of leading IT companies, said that the provisions of the convention are too vague and could allow governments to demand access to encrypted systems or force Internet providers to transfer users’ personal data without their consent.
Human Rights Watch, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and seventeen other human rights organizations also expressed their reservations. They emphasize that the document allows the transfer of personal data between states even outside the scope of specific investigations and without sufficient guarantees of respect for human rights.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for clearer provisions on searches and seizures of digital data to prevent persecution of people for political beliefs or the expression of opinions.
During the signing ceremony, Vietnamese President Luong Quang called the fight against cybercrime a “new war” that is costing the global economy trillions of dollars. The convention also includes provisions to help developing countries strengthen their cybersecurity.
At the same time, human rights activists criticized the choice of Vietnam as the host country for the signing, recalling the persecution of local activists and bloggers. In a joint statement, they warned that even peaceful forms of protest or expression of opinions on the Internet could fall under the scope of the convention.
