The EU's justice ministers have evidently devised new laws that aim to deter illegal hacking and the creation and distribution of computer viruses. But the laws' collective reach may be too broad.
The New York Times reports that, only days after virtual anti-war protests, harsh laws proposed by the EU's legal leaders may effectively criminalize behavior that, in this country, would obtain first amendment protection, viz., online protests.
Critics from the legal profession say the agreement makes no legal distinction between an online protester and terrorists, hackers and spreaders of computer viruses that the new laws are intended to trap.
Meanwhile, in the US, PetitionOnline.com has thus far collected over 15 million signatures.