US declines to join more than 70 countries in signing UN cybercrime treaty The Record from Recorded Future News

pppLeadershipppCybercrimeppNationstatepp Influence Operations ppTechnologyppCyber DailyppClick Here Podcastpp Free Newsletterpp More than 70 countries signed the landmark UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi this weekend a significant step in the yearslong effort to create a global mechanism to counteract digital crime pp The UK and European Union joined China Russia Brazil Nigeria and dozens of other nations in signing the convention which lays out new mechanisms for governments to coordinate build capacity and track those who use technology to commit crimes  pp In his speech at the event UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres said cyberspace has become fertile ground for criminals and has allowed them to defraud families steal livelihoods and drain billions of dollars from our economies pp The UN Cybercrime Convention is a powerful legally binding instrument to strengthen our collective defences against cybercrime Guterres said  pp Illicit flows of money concealed through cryptocurrencies and digital transactions finance the trafficking of drugs arms and terror And businesses hospitals and airports are brought to a standstill by ransomware attacks pp He added that the convention would be critical for governments in the Global South that need assistance and funding for the training required to address cybercrime which the UN estimates costs 105 trillion around the world annually  pp While many countries did not sign the treaty the most notable missing signature was that of the US pp Officials at the State Department told Recorded Future News on Friday that Marc Knapper the US ambassador to Vietnam and representatives from the US Mission to Vietnam would be attending the signing  pp The State Department confirmed on Monday that the US did not sign the treaty  pp The United States continues to review the treaty a State Department spokesperson said in a brief statement  pp The UN Convention against Cybercrime was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024 and will enter into force 90 days after being ratified by the 40th signatory Signatories will have to ratify the convention according to their own procedures  pp At the ceremony UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly argued that cybercrime is changing the face of organized crime and required global coordination to address Waly said the convention would be a vital tool that will ensure a safer digital world for all pp UN officials said the convention would help governments address terrorism human trafficking money laundering and drug smuggling all of which have been turbocharged by the internet  pp The UN noted that the convention is the first global framework for the collection sharing and use of electronic evidence for all serious offenses noting that until now there have been no broadly accepted international standards on electronic evidence  pp It is also the first global treaty to criminalize crimes that depend on the internet and is the first international treaty to recognize the nonconsensual dissemination of intimate images as an offense pp It creates the first global 247 network where countries can quickly initiate cooperation the UN said It recognizes and promotes the need to build capacity in countries to pursue and cooperate on fastmoving cybercrimes pp The convention has been heavily criticized by the tech industry which has warned that it criminalizes cybersecurity research and exposes companies to legally thorny data requests pp Human rights groups warned on Friday that it effectively forces member states to create a broad electronic surveillance dragnet that would include crimes that have nothing to do with technology  pp Many expressed concern that the convention will be abused by dictatorships and rogue governments who will deploy it against critics or protesters even those outside of a regimes jurisdiction  pp It also creates legal regimes to monitor store and allow crossborder sharing of information without specific data protections Access Nows Raman Jit Singh Chima said the convention effectively justifies cyber authoritarianism at home and transnational repression across borders  pp Any countries ratifying the treaty he added risks actively validating cyber authoritarianism and facilitating the global erosion of digital freedoms choosing procedural consensus over substantive human rights protection pp In his speech Guterres referenced the backlash to the convention telling member states that the treaty has to be a promise that fundamental human rights such as privacy dignity and safety must be protected both offline and online  pp But at its core according to Guterres the convention solves one of the thorniest issues law enforcement agencies have faced over the last two decades Countries have only recently begun to share digital evidence across borders but the convention would increase that practice  pp This has long been a major obstacle to justice with perpetrators in one country victims in another and data stored in a third he said The Convention provides a clear pathway for investigators and prosecutors to finally overcome this barrier ppJonathan Greigppis a Breaking News Reporter at Recorded Future News Jonathan has worked across the globe as a journalist since 2014 Before moving back to New York City he worked for news outlets in South Africa Jordan and Cambodia He previously covered cybersecurity at ZDNet and TechRepublicppPrivacyppAboutppContact Uspp Copyright 2025 The Record from Recorded Future Newsp