Hot Issue At The Hawaii Legislature: Cybercrime
01/27/2012
Chad Blair/Civil Beat
Spurred by a dramatic rise in computer-related crimes — including possibly affecting one of their own colleagues — lawmakers have introduced more than 30 measures in the Hawaii Legislature concerning cybercrime.
The bills would increase penalties and give law enforcement more tools to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes, which refers to crimes involving the Internet, computers and electronic communications. The crimes include harassment and identity theft.
One bill in particular caused quite a stir at the Capitol Thursday and even grabbed the attention of national media, bloggers and Internet-watchers. That legislation, said to be the most far-reaching of any state, would track consumer Internet use and give law enforcement a tool to monitor cybercrime.
But it was aggressively attacked by privacy watchdogs as government overreach and a set back for civil liberties.
The legislation underscores the fine line between consumer protection and personal freedom.
Other Hawaii legislation includes proposals to address unauthorized access, hacking, phishing, spyware and cyberbullying in schools.
Several measures would prohibit "certain acts" by web designers or developers; others would make a class C felony "aggravated harassment by impersonation" in online chats, instant messaging, and postings on social networking web sites.
And one would require Internet dating services "to provide safety awareness notification to their Hawaii members."
With many of the bills featuring bipartisan support from legislators facing re-election, fighting cybercrime has emerged as a hot issue in the 2012 session.
