In pushing for the enactment of the two cyber Bills, the government argued that the new laws will go a long way in protecting computer users against online crime by detecting and deterring personal intrusion and fraud. It is now a crime for anyone to send to another what is regarded as abusive content using a mobile phone.
Parliament’s passing of the Electronics Transaction Bill and the Electronic Signatures Bill, follows last month’s passing of the Computer Misuse Bill. There was hardly debate or disagreement yesterday as the MPs voted with ease on the two Bills which have been at committee stage for the past month with the House’s committee on Information and Communications Technology.
ICT State Minister Alintuma Nsambu said with the passing of the new Bills, cyber criminals will no longer be able to operate from Uganda as conveniently as before. ICT committee chairman MP Igeme Nabeta said the new laws will promote e-commerce and allow Ugandan companies and individuals to trade freely with those in other countries. “Also since internet has become a global trend, the law will allow jurisdictions beyond international boundaries,” he said. “People who commit crimes here and in other countries can easily be followed up.”
The law has also laid a legal framework for electronic transactions and stipulates penalties for those who use computers to commit crimes like sending abusive messages using phones and computers and harassing others. The Bill hands down a three-year jail term for any individual convicted of the crime of harassing others on the web.
Mr Nabeta said the Electronic Signatures Bill will enable people sign transactions electronically from any country in the world. Africa has been experiencing a large flow of Internet fraud and Internet related offences originating mostly from Nigeria.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Mercy Nalugo & Emmanuel Gyezaho
Quelle/Source: Daily Monitor, 08.10.2010
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