Governor delaying Cyber Crime Bill over 'free speech' concerns
According to Governor Jaspert, the delay is as a result of free speech concerns that were flagged and these issues must be sorted and debated before a decision can be made.
Stiff Penalties
"The bill is an important bill, it includes areas in there about how we protect children online, how we tackle issues like fraud and people who are abusing the online space," Governor Jaspert told the local media at a February 3, 2020 press conference at the Governor's Residence on Tortola.
The bill proposes stiff penalties for several issues like data theft, cyberbullying, digital blackmail and other cybercrimes.
Some of the amendments to the bill include a fine not exceeding $100,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both, if the modifications are implemented for persons found guilty by a court of law for electronic defamation.
For obtaining unlawful access, unlawful interception of data and making available device or data, “The proposal is to increase the fine from $10,000 and two years on summary conviction to $200,000 and seven years. And from $50,000 and five years on a conviction of indictment to $500,000 and 14 years,” Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said last August in the HoA, with even more penalties proposed.
Free Speech
"It also has some very important areas that have been flagged to me and to the Premier as well... about speech and what is the right level of speech online, including for the media as well," Governor Jaspert indicated.
From the inception, international watchdogs and free-speech groups had criticised the then proposed bill over what appeared to be legislative attempts to silence the media.
Director of Advocacy at the International Press Institute, Ravi R. Prasad has expressed concern with the Act, citing that if the changes come into law it would be used to prosecute and silence the media in the Virgin Islands.
Premier Fahie disagreed in blasting the free speech entities, he further accusing them of attempting to stall the assenting of the bill over their concerns and noted that the Cyber Crime Bill is one that is urgently needed in the VI.
Bill is Democratic - Premier Fahie
On Monday, January 20, 2020, the Premier told journalists that the amendments went through Cabinet, passed in the House of Assembly with three readings, including a debate.
“I am confident that the most democratic process has been taken place through the [Computer Misuse and] Cyber Crime Amendment Act and it should be assented to,” Hon Fahie assured.
Governor Jaspert, through stalling the bill, has indicated that the concerns raised are legitimate and should be addressed.
"Those are important issues, what is the right of the media to cause inconvenience or annoyance... is it right or wrong that a journalist can cause inconvenience and those are some of the issues that are being debated," he said.
The Governor noted that both himself and Premer Fahie are fully aware of the issues and as such, correspondence has been initiated since 2019 regarding what decisions must be taken to address the concerns.
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17 Responses to “Governor delaying Cyber Crime Bill over 'free speech' concerns”
who in right mind is going to want to invest in a country which displays such racism and hatred for outsiders..all you have to read is a thread of ANY online news article and it ALWAYS turns to hatred to foriegners.......
how about this one from an article about the nightclubs and the labour crackdown end of last month and I quote " i call for ethnic cleansing" !!!!!
yes...we need cyber crime legslation.
The same outsiders still coming for jobs and the BEST ones and to vacation so they will always be here. We can't get rid of them if we wanted to hush yuh s****. The sun need to be hotter.
who cares what the governor thinks? I never saw his name on the ballot...hope he is not just another K**