Spread a Virus in Japan and Get Thrown in the Slammer
June 18th, 2011
That’s right, you read that right: if you’re caught with a virus on your computer, then you’ve got to shell out $6,200 in bail or spend three years in jail. This only applies if you’re in Japan, that is. So if you’re not living in the Land of the Rising Sun, then you can go on ahead and spread those corrupt and wormy files without worrying about getting sent to prison.
All kidding aside, the bill that criminalizes the creation or distribution of computer virus was finally enacted last Friday by Japan’s parliament. The law also includes provisions regarding punishment that will be meted out to people who have been caught sending pornographic images to random people.
These laws are meant to crack down on the dirty web of cybercrime; however, some parts of the law border on infringing the privacy of communications as it allows data to be obtained or subpoenaed by authorities from servers for investigation when necessary.
Japan is the first country to enact and implement such a law. Hopefully, we’ll be able to gauge the effectivity of passing the law a few months down the line.
[via Geeky Gadgets]
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Categories: Technology
