IPNEWS: The reported delay by the National Legislature in the passage into law of the cyber security act has created disgruntlement among internet users, who have unanimously agreed to stage a protest on the grounds of the Capitol Building. The lawmakers received the proposed act in 2016.
The development followed a three-week-long training of hundreds of internet users by the Liberia internet society school of governance.
Cyber laws are the laws that provide legal protection to internet users against a multitude of complexities and legal issues emerging every now and then. The ever-expanding cyberspace has further given way to the specialized branch of law known as cyber laws that provide cyber protection to every industry and organization.
Made up of young information technology specialists, the group said it is unfortunate that the Legislature is delaying passing relevant documents like the cyber security Act which it says protects the country and every internet user from cybercrime.
According to the group, it will have to march to the Legislature again to know the status of the cyber security Act that it along with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications drafted.
“We have to pass this law so that we can be protected online and also create more jobs for Liberian in the ICT sector,” the young information technology specialists said in a statement.
Internet society Liberia chapter, over the weekend climaxed Liberia school of internet governance {LSIG} third edition under the theme, ‘connecting people and safeguarding human right in Liberia.’
Speaking to journalists during the weekend, the President Internet Society Liberia Chapter, Mr. Matthew Robert said the passage of the cyber security law is critical as it is intended to create more job opportunities for Liberians and protect the country in the digital space. He said hackers cannot be sued because there is no cyber security law to do so.
“People are not responsible for their actions nor prosecuted under our law for cybercrimes because we do not have any law. Liberia is vulnerable in the digital space because there is no law to protect the right of the citizens and internet users in the country. We have trafficking in person that is done by the internet, data protection, and hacking and other sensitive things that this law will protect when it’s committed by the internet” Mr. Robert said.
He recalled a case he said was between Lonestar cell MTN and ORANGE GSM over claims of shutting down and hacking the Lonestar MTN with the aim to get more customers. Mr. Robert said the British man, who was suspected of carrying on the act could not be prosecuted because there was no law to prosecute him.
Robert also claimed Facebook, Google and other social media platforms were transferring and stealing their data, but Liberia cannot take action because it does not have any law that it can use to prosecute them.
“Something that you can hear is that Facebook and Google are sued in other countries because of this cyber security law data protection act, but that cannot happen in Liberia. We need the law to take,” Robert said.
