Council of Europe approves cybercrime treaty as European consumers continue to lack e-confidence
The Council of Europe Minister's Deputies has approved the first ever international convention on cybercrime. The treaty, which will enshrine a criminal policy on the use of computer networks for illegal or terrorist purposes, aims to foster international co-operation in the fight against cybercrime. The move comes as Consumers International (CI), a global federation of consumer organisations, called for European governments to do more to reduce e-commerce fraud. The draft convention will be presented to a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Strasbourg on 8 November. Member States will be able to sign up to the convention at an international conference in Budapest at the end of November. It will enter into force when it has been ratified by five states, of which three must be EU Member States. The USA will be one of the non-EU states signing up to the agreement. Richard Swetenham of the European Union Safer Internet Action Plan said: 'The US [terrorist] events have put these issues into a sharper focus - there will be various statements coming at a European level in response to concerns raised in the States.' The convention deals specifically with Internet distribution of child pornography, copyright infringements, fraud and network-security violations. It will also contain a protocol making the publication of racist material on the Internet a criminal offence. The treaty also addresses the controversial interception of communications data for criminal investigations by requiring law enforcement authorities in signatory states to be granted power under domestic law to collect or record data. The Council of Minister's approval of the cybercrime treaty coincides with renewed effort by Consumers International (CI) to urge European governments to ensure compliance with the EU Distance Selling Directive, monitor sites and educate consumers about their rights and obligations. The call for action follows the results of an international CI survey showing that consumers still lack confidence about shopping online. The survey uncovered widespread evidence of a lack of consumer information, and found that less than half of EU-based sites gave information to customers about their right to withdraw from a contract - a 'cooling off' period defined by EU law. Anna Fielder, director of the CI office for developed and transit economies, said: 'Although the Internet offers advantages to consumers in terms of convenience and choice, a world where many goods fail to arrive and traders don't send refunds does not inspire confidence in consumers to shop online.'