AGO drafts legislative changes to tackle rise in cybercrime

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has drafted legislative changes to criminalize cybercrime in order to tackle an increase in cybercrime in Maldives.

AGO has drafted changes to the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Act on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The changes to the three laws were submitted to the President’s Office for review Sunday.

According to the AGO, the legislative changes will empower authorities to stop and take action against crimes that involve electronic evidence, and establish policies for investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes.

The changes to the Penal Code will criminalize and set penalties for the following acts:

• Unauthorized access to a computer system
• Unauthorized access to a computer system to facilitate another crime
• Unauthorized inspection of computer data
• Unauthorized interference of computer data
• Misuse of a device
• Cyberviolence
• Acts of deception involving a computer
• Violation of a copyright and related rights

The changes to Act on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters will set down:

• Policies on mutual assistance in seeking electronic evidence and related matters
• Policies on establishing a 24/7 network to provide real time mutual assistance for investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes

And, the changes to Criminal Procedure Code will set down:

• Procedures on retention of subscriber information and community data by service providers
• Procedures on quick preservation of stored computer data and orders for disclosure of traffic data
• Procedures on seeking and enforcing production orders for computer data and subscriber information
• Procedures on search and freeze of stored computer data
• Procedures on seeking and enforcing orders to take traffic data in real time