(Telestock) – UN member states give green light to a treaty against cybercrime. This is the first text of its kind approved by the United Nations despite strong opposition from human rights activists who had warned of a global surveillance tool.
At the end of three years of negotiations and the final two-week session in New York, members approved thea United Nations Convention on Cybercrime by consensusto be submitted to the General Assembly for formal adoption.
In detail: the new treaty will enter into force once ratified by 40 member countries and aims to “prevent and fight cybercrime more efficiently and effectively”, in particularly with regard to images of sexual abuse of minors and money laundering. However, there is no shortage of detractors – an alliance of human rights activists and big tech companies – who denounce the overly broad scope of action, argue that it could amount to a “global” surveillance.