The Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime will enter into force on 1 July 2004, following its ratification by Lithuania. The convention requires at least 5 CoE members to ratify. Previously Albania, Croatia, Estonia and Hungary have done so.

The convention's aim is to develop a common criminal policy on cybercrime by promoting international co-operation and the adoption of appropriate legislation. Signatories will have to implement into their national law criminal code concerning computer crime and will also have to give their police new powers to conduct investigations regarding computers and the internet.

Besides computer hacking and viruses, the convention covers (virtual) child pornography and computer-related fraud. Police forces in the ratifying countries will get new powers to seize data, intercept communications and request cross-border assistance.

Many provisions in the convention do not have to be implemented to the full extent. For example countries may require that computer hacking is committed by infringing security measures. But it is also possible to make hacking a crime if it is done without breaking any security (for example if the computer involved has no security protection).

The convention has been criticised by civil liberty groups and the European data commissioners for the secretive process by which it was created and for not requiring countries to protect civil rights while extending police powers.

The Council of Europe has 45 members of which 33 countries have signed the convention. Non-member countries such as the USA, Canada, South-Africa and Japan also joined. As a follow-up, the Council is planning a major international conference on 'The Challenge of Cybercrime', which will bring together senior politicians, computer industry leaders and experts from around the world in Strasbourg from 15 to 17 September 2004.

The convention on cybercrime
http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=185&...