On November 10, 2008, Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance 2008, a new law to combat cyber terrorism in his country.
The text law reads:
As far as I’m concerned, I believe that this law is one of the good means in combating terrorism. We all know how the internet played a big role in spreading terrorist propaganda and how powerful this means is. So having it criminalized might help limit such acts and also lead to catching terrorists.
However, this law might be used for other means. It could be used in restricting the freedom of people using the internet and give excuse to authorities to monitor people’s personal emails or get access to their computers.
I hope such laws will be considered in other countries, but they should not violate the personal rights of the regular citizens as it will turn into censorship, not terrorism combating.
blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com
The text law reads:
"Whoever commits the offence of cyber terrorism and causes death of any person shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life and with fine and in any other case he shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for at erm which may extend to ten years, or with fine not less than ten-million rupees, or with both."
"Any person, group or organization who, with terroristic intent utilizes, accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or computer network or electronic system or electronic device or by any available means, and thereby knowingly engages in or attempts to engage in a terroristic act commits the offence of cyber terrorism."
However, this law might be used for other means. It could be used in restricting the freedom of people using the internet and give excuse to authorities to monitor people’s personal emails or get access to their computers.
I hope such laws will be considered in other countries, but they should not violate the personal rights of the regular citizens as it will turn into censorship, not terrorism combating.
blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com
4 Comments:
yeah, i do not quite know how to respond to this. i am always weary of laws regarding the death penalty. it would also seem that sometimes people could be framed for things like this. i hope it prevents this cyber terror, but i don't know what else to say. i guess i don't quite know what cyber terror is.
i guess i don't quite know what cyber terror is.
Hmmm...should I? No, no, in the spirit of the new administration and bi-partisanship I am not going to say anything remotely snarky. :)
With the last years experiences behind us seeing how both democratic regimes and undemocratic regimes have put the respect of both human rights and international law it makes that law and others like it dangerous. Since the ones who put into actions are the same ones who put respect of human rights and international law in the trash bin. Meaning laws like this is only yet another mean to turn our societies to police states.
FRA is a new Swedish law that is starting up first of January 2009 and it will give the military and regime the same powers dictatorships have over their people. So what do Swedish people think about it? Majority are against it. So what happens? Well its in place 1st of January 2009.
Some information on the FRA law for those interested:
http://www.thelocal.se/12334/20080610/
The thing with all these laws of fighting terrorism is that NOT one single one of them are from the perspective that it might very well be that political legislatives are the ones that are a threat to a free and democratic society.
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