Governor Jerry Brown is trying to determine whether crimes committed on the Internet are significant enough to warrant the introduction of landmark Cyber laws.
With that goal in mind, Brown signed a bill into law last Thursday to require that the Sheriff’s Department and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office collect statistics in their counties for one year on crimes such as stalking, identity theft, child protection, etc.
At a recent press conference recently, Brown’s spokesperson stressed the importance of the measure.
“One of the most effective weapons in the fight against cyber crime is accurate data and information,” according to Evan Westrup.
State Senator Ellen Corbett introduced the bill which is backed by Sheriff Lee Baca who believes that a statistical study is needed to determine whether new laws are needed (according to his spokesperson).
This measure comes on the heels of a bill that was defeated last year which sought legislation to allow parents to restrict their children’s personal information on social networking sites and limit disclosure of information about adults.
Nine Internet companies – including google, Twitter, and Facebook – argued that the previous bill would have violated the U.S. Constitution by improperly restricting interstate commerce and free speech.
In addition, the thriving business entities took the position that the bill should be struck down because – in their opinion - there was no clear-cut evidence that there was a problem with crime running rampant (or at all) on social networking sites.
Proponents of the endeavour are hopeful that the new measure will deliver up the facts so that appropriate action can be taken when the verdict is in.
Bill SB 561 has no organized opposition at this point in time, and it appears, that it may fly through the legal process with the State’s seal of approval.
Stay posted for updates!
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