Fuzzy logic behind Bush’s cybercrime treaty
"Bush claims the treaty, formally approved by a Senate committee this month, will 'deny safe havens to criminals, including terrorists, who can cause damage to U.S. interests from abroad, using computer systems.'
But in reality, the Convention on Cybercrime will endanger Americans' privacy and civil liberties--and place the FBI's massive surveillance apparatus at the disposal of nations with much less respect for individual liberties.
For instance, if the U.S. and Russia ratify it, President Vladimir Putin would be able to invoke the treaty's powers to unmask anonymous critics on U.S.-based Web sites and perhaps even snoop on their e-mail correspondence. This is no theoretical quibble: The onetime KGB apparatchik has squelched freedom of speech inside Russia and regularly muzzles journalists and critics.
There's an easy fix. The U.S. Senate could attach an amendment to the treaty saying the FBI may aid other nations only if the alleged 'crime' in their country also is a crime here. The concept is called dual criminality, and the treaty lets nations choose that option."
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But in reality, the Convention on Cybercrime will endanger Americans' privacy and civil liberties--and place the FBI's massive surveillance apparatus at the disposal of nations with much less respect for individual liberties.
For instance, if the U.S. and Russia ratify it, President Vladimir Putin would be able to invoke the treaty's powers to unmask anonymous critics on U.S.-based Web sites and perhaps even snoop on their e-mail correspondence. This is no theoretical quibble: The onetime KGB apparatchik has squelched freedom of speech inside Russia and regularly muzzles journalists and critics.
There's an easy fix. The U.S. Senate could attach an amendment to the treaty saying the FBI may aid other nations only if the alleged 'crime' in their country also is a crime here. The concept is called dual criminality, and the treaty lets nations choose that option."
[read full article]