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Anti-hacking law raises privacy fears

New laws allowing Singapore to launch pre-emptive strikes against computer hackers have raised fears that Internet controls are being tightened and privacy compromised in the name of fighting terrorism.

The city-state's parliament has approved tough new legislation aimed at stopping "cyberterrorism," referring to computer crimes that are endanger national security, foreign relations, banking and essential public services.

Security agencies can now patrol the Internet and swoop down on hackers suspected of plotting to use computer keyboards as weapons of mass disruption.

Violators of the Computer Misuse Act such as Web site hackers can be jailed up to three years or fined up to S$10,000 (US$5,800 US).

But a vocal opposition fear the law will be abused.

"It could be misused to invade into the privacy of citizens to gather information," said Sinapan Samydorai, president of Think Center, a civil liberties group.

He said the new laws could be used as an "instrument of oppression" by the government.

An online poll by popular Internet portal Yahoo Singapore showed that 70 percent of respondents felt the new laws gave the authorities too much power, and they were afraid they were being watched.

The new measures have been likened by critics to the Internal Security Act, which has been used to detain political dissidents and radicals without trial.

Kit Yau, a Hong Kong-based analyst with technology research group IDC, said Singapore should spell out how the new laws are to be implemented in order to allay public fears.

"This is part of the government's job of providing security, but you have to make people know what is going on, what are the limitations," she said.
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