Newest UN cybercrime treaty draft slammed

The United Nations' latest cybercrime treaty draft has been condemned by cybercrime experts and human rights activists for criminalizing cybersecurity research, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Aside from increasing state surveillance powers that could compromise encryption measures, the revised treaty draft also enables states to access corporate data in other countries, which could be a violation of privacy laws, said Electronic Frontier Foundation Policy Director for Global Privacy Katitza Rodriguez. "The latest UN cybercrime treaty draft not only disregards but also worsens our concerns. It perilously broadens its scope beyond the cybercrimes specifically defined in the Convention, encompassing a long list of non-cybercrimes," said Rodriguez. Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, which includes Microsoft, Meta, and other major tech firms, expressed qualms over the inclusion of optional cybercrime victim protections and unrestricted border-crossing nation-state surveillance while removing cybercrime prosecution limitations and expanding online fraud. "Without significant changes, this Convention will facilitate, rather than reduce, crime online," said Cybersecurity Tech Accord's Nick Ashton-Hart.