Fears over Computer Crime Act changes
Latest changes to the Computer Crime Act have not been officially completed, but they have already gained considerable momentum. Many people are looking forward to moves by the National Legislative Assembly review panel that is responsible for revamping the law. But the reason for this does not appear to be pleasant. When the committee received opinions from the public on the latest amendments on Wednesday, concerns were raised by several rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and the Internet Dialogue on Law Reform, or iLaw. Most concerns relate to freedom of expression, and whether people’s freedoms will be suppressed by the new amendments. Instead of feeling safe or protected by the law, the groups are more worried that the law will infringe on their rights. Critics of the Computer Crime Act believe that law has been misused. They say it has moved away from its original intention – to tackle Internet crimes such as online phishing and scams – and is being widely used to charge people with defamation.
