Asbo Equivalent Planned For UK Hackers

<img src="http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6358/homeofficeei4.png" style='margin:5px;' align='left'>The Home Office has proposed a new order, which could give police and the courts the power to give suspected hackers and spammers the equivalent of an <a href= "http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/asbos9.htm">Asbo (anti-social behaviour order). The order, known as the Serious Crime Prevention Order, is intended to help fight rising cybercrime levels, and will enable civil courts to impose the orders on individuals, even if they haven't been proven guilty, or worse, convicted of a crime. This only applies to the UK, for now at least.

<img src="http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6358/homeofficeei4.png" style='margin:5px;' align='left'>The Order is planned for cases where police don't have enough evidence to prosecute suspected cybercriminals.

With this order, the police and courts would have "almost unlimited powers when imposing conditions on the person receiving the order."*

The courts would have the right to take computer equipment, aswell as their businesses, property, or anything which may "have been used to facilitate serious crime" from individuals, without needing any evidence against that person.

"The proposals would give extensive powers [to the courts and police]. Suspected hackers could be banned from the Internet, or banned from entering Internet cafés," a Home Office spokesman told ZDNet UK.

This is just another example of how hackers are being descriminized around the globe, and it appears theres not all too much we can do about it.

<span class='small2'>*Source: zdnet.co.uk