Moldovan government approves toughening sanctions for offences committed in use of IT

Chisinau, 30 March /MOLDPRES/ - The cabinet of ministers today approved a string of legislative amendments and completions to ensure the information security and fight offences committed while using information technologies, including child abuse, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.   

The document proposes completions to the criminal and criminal procedure law, which exclude the legislative gaps in the prevention and combating the offences dealing with the online sexual exploitation of children. At the same time, the punishment for the production and spread of “infantile pornography” is to be toughened from three to seven years of imprisonment; this sanction is currently from one to three years.     

At the same time, the law’s goal is to technical ensure the interception of informative data broadcast through electronic communication networks, as well as to initiate physicians’ cooperation with Interior Ministry representatives, in order to defend the rights of the victims of the offences of abuse and call offenders to account.

The draft law is also focused on fighting banking fraud through information resources, including the theft of data of banking cards and carrying out virtual financial operations.  

At the same time, the amendments are aimed at ensuring the observance of the secret of correspondence sent and received through electronic communication.

The draft adjusts the national legislation to the international legal framework, including the provisions of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cyber-crime, Council of Europe’s Convention on Children’s Protection against Sexual Exploitation and European Parliament directive on combating sexual abuse of children.

(Editor A. Raileanu)