Civil Liberties and Security in Cyberspace - Hoover Institution
Civil Liberties and Security in Cyberspace - Hoover Institution
Civil Liberties and Security in Cyberspace - Hoover Institution
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<strong>Hoover</strong> Press : Cyber DP5 HPCYBE0500 06-11-:1 11:53:04 rev1 page 219<br />
<strong>Civil</strong> <strong>Liberties</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Security</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Cyberspace</strong><br />
219<br />
enforcement officials, who will likely scan files, review content, <strong>and</strong><br />
engage <strong>in</strong> other surveillance of communications to collect evidence<br />
<strong>and</strong> to identify perpetrators. Engag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> such activities on a wide<br />
“preventive” scale, rather than <strong>in</strong> specific cases with established probable<br />
cause of crime, would raise legal <strong>and</strong> moral concerns of unduly<br />
<strong>in</strong>trusive polic<strong>in</strong>g. Furthermore, even <strong>in</strong> specific cases of suspected<br />
crime, limit<strong>in</strong>g the scope of targeted surveillance may be technologically<br />
<strong>and</strong> operationally difficult. This approach places communications<br />
of <strong>in</strong>nocent people <strong>and</strong> their private <strong>in</strong>formation at risk. The<br />
reactive approach requires greater scrut<strong>in</strong>y.<br />
While clearly threaten<strong>in</strong>g to civil liberties, reactive measures would<br />
not necessarily result <strong>in</strong> fewer crimes <strong>and</strong> better law enforcement. Even<br />
<strong>in</strong> most technologically <strong>and</strong> economically developed countries today,<br />
police lack equipment <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to meet the grow<strong>in</strong>g challenge of<br />
the electronic dimensions of crime. Technical experts agree that greater<br />
automation is crucial for a timely, scalable, <strong>and</strong> less <strong>in</strong>trusive response<br />
to <strong>in</strong>ternational cyber crime. This offers hope that, <strong>in</strong> the name of both<br />
efficiency <strong>and</strong> civil liberties, relatively non<strong>in</strong>trusive technological measures<br />
will be developed <strong>and</strong> implemented <strong>in</strong> the near future. Such<br />
solutions should provide a more suitable balance among security, law<br />
enforcement, <strong>and</strong> civil liberties <strong>in</strong> cyberspace. Reactive measures will<br />
also be enhanced, however, <strong>and</strong> will need to be fashioned <strong>and</strong> monitored<br />
so as to ensure adequate protection of human rights.<br />
The technologies of crime <strong>and</strong> punishment are undergo<strong>in</strong>g a rapid<br />
<strong>and</strong> profound evolution. But though such technologies constitute a<br />
mov<strong>in</strong>g target for evaluation, the legal <strong>and</strong> normative pr<strong>in</strong>ciples discussed<br />
here will endure, because they are <strong>in</strong>dependent of specific technological<br />
means. As such, they can provide a framework for build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a global <strong>in</strong>frastructure <strong>and</strong> policy environment that balances the needs<br />
for crime-free bus<strong>in</strong>ess, government, <strong>and</strong> personal communications,<br />
with the protection of property, privacy, <strong>and</strong> civil liberties.<br />
Tensions between security <strong>and</strong> civil liberties may emerge. These<br />
tensions should be carefully exam<strong>in</strong>ed with the awareness of threats<br />
<strong>and</strong> social implications of measures aga<strong>in</strong>st cyber crime <strong>and</strong> terrorism.