US enters EU cybercrime convention

Date: October 03, 2006
Source: axcessnews.com


The US State Department said Friday that it joined the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime and that will come into force in the United States on January 1.

The Convention is the only legally binding multilateral instrument specifically addressing computer-related crime, helping protect citizens against computer hacking and Internet fraud, as well as crimes involving electronic evidence, including child sexual exploitation, organized crime and terrorism. Parties to the Convention commit to effective and compatible laws and tools to fight cybercrime, and to cooperating to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, "The Convention is the only legally binding multilateral instrument specifically addressing computer-related crime."

The Convention entered into force on July 1, 2004. Including the US, there are now 43 signatories and 15 parties now involved fighting cybercrime internationally in a cooperative effort.

The Council of Europe is based in Strasbourg, France and is Europe's oldest political group that includes 46 members, the US participates in the Council as an observer.

On September 22, President Bush signed the United States' instrument of ratification for the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime.
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