Public urged to fight new internet law
COMPUTER CRIME ACT DRAFT SLAMMED
>> A legal monitoring group has urged people to express their disapproval of the draft of the new Computer Crime Act over the internet and in social media channels.
The call was made ahead of the third reading of the draft in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday.
The Internet Dialogue on Law Reform (iLaw) said on its website that the draft’s definition of offences was too broad and people did not know the boundaries of their legal limits.
The act would also give screening panels the power to block websites even when content was not regarded as unlawful, it said.
According to iLaw, it is highly likely the draft will pass the third reading and come into force despite the fact that many internet users were still concerned about it.
A campaign has been rolled out to encourage those opposed to the draft to express their concerns to the NLA and relevant authorities online and in social media channels. The aim was to stall or suspend the draft deliberation, it said.
Rights advocates have long decried the use of the CCA as an additional charge against individuals already facing criminal defamation charges.
The CCA is blamed for silencing human rights defenders reporting alleged abuse or malfeasance, and activists who exercised their right to free speech.
Many activists have attacked Section 14 of the existing CCA, which they said was too broad and open to abuse, and the latest draft fails to address these matters.
Critics also said Section 18 of new draft widens authorities’ scope and grants them more power to search and intercept data and communications while investigating alleged offences. Under the CCA’s current version, authorities are only allowed to do so when probing suspected violations of the CCA itself. However, the latest draft grants permission to conduct such searches in all cases.
Meanwhile, a bill on digital development for the economy and society has passed the third reading of the NLA. It was approved on Friday in a 161-2 vote with four abstentions.
Saowanee Suwancheep, chairman of the NLA’s committee vetting the bill, said the legislation would lead to the establishment of the national digital economy and society committee to map out national policy as well as regulations and announcements on the issue.
The panel can be formed immediately by the cabinet after the bill is put into force.
A fund will also be established to execute the task under the bill, she said, adding in this initial stage, 15% of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s frequency allocation revenue will be drawn to the fund.
During the reading, debate centred on Section 44 of the bill, which indicates that the Office of Digital Economy Promotion’s assets are shielded from being funnelled to state coffers.
Lawmakers argued the revenue could be lost. The bill was later amended to allow revenue or any benefits deriving from the office’s operations to be returned to the state’s coffers.