Government extends fight against cybercrime

Legislation that will help protect New Zealanders from cybercrime has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. 

"11% of New Zealanders were victims of fraud and cybercrime in 2023, causing significant financial harm and emotional distress.

"The Budapest Convention, also known as the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, is the only binding international treaty on cybercrime. 

"It aligns member countries' laws and makes it easier for them to cooperate on criminal investigations.

"By joining the convention, we are signalling to the other like-minded countries that we take cybercrime seriously and we are prepared to do our part to eliminate it.

"It will help our law enforcement agencies to protect New Zealanders, by providing the tools they need to detect, investigate, and prosecute criminal offending, even when it happens online."

The Bill contains provisions to ensure our domestic laws meet the requirements of the Convention. These include:

Source: Beehive