EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
constituent elements – such as illegal access, data interference and forgery, in the case of identity
offences. A number of content-related offences, particularly those concerning child pornography,
show widespread criminalization. Differences arise however regarding the definition of ‘child’,
limitations in relation to ‘visual’ material or exclusion of simulated material, and acts covered.
Although the vast majority of countries, for instance, cover production and distribution of child
pornography, criminalization of possession and access shows greater variation. For computer-related
copyright and trademark infringement, countries most usually reported the application of general
criminal offences for acts committed wilfully and on a commercial scale.
The increasing use of social media and user-generated internet content has resulted in
regulatory responses from governments, including the use of criminal law, and calls for respect for
rights to freedom of expression. Responding countries report varying boundaries to expression,
including with respect to defamation, contempt, threats, incitement to hatred, insult to religious
feelings, obscene material, and undermining the state. The socio-cultural element of some limitations
is reflected not only in national law, but also in multilateral instruments. Some regional cybercrime
instruments, for example, contain broad offences regarding the violation of public morals,
pornographic material, and religious or family principles or values.
International human rights law acts both as a sword and a shield, requiring criminalization of
(limited) extreme forms of expression, while protecting other forms. Some prohibitions on freedom
of expression, including incitement to genocide, hatred constituting incitement to discrimination,
hostility or violence, incitement to terrorism, and propaganda for war, are therefore required for
States that are party to relevant international human rights instruments. For others, the ‘margin of
appreciation’ allows leeway to countries in determining the boundaries of acceptable expression in
line with their own cultures and legal traditions. Nonetheless, international human rights law will
intervene at a certain point. Penal laws on defamation, disrespect for authority, and insult, for
example, that apply to online expressions will face a high threshold of demonstrating that the
measures are proportionate, appropriate, and the least intrusive possible. Where content is illegal in
one country, but legal to produce and disseminate in another, States will need to focus criminal
justice responses on persons accessing content within the national jurisdiction, rather than on
content produced outside of the country.
Law enforcement and investigations
Over 90 per cent of responding countries report that cybercrime acts most frequently
come to the attention of law enforcement authorities through reports by individual or
corporate victims. Responding countries estimate that the proportion of actual cybercrime
victimization reported to the police ranges upwards from 1 per cent. One global private sector
survey suggests that 80 per cent of individual victims of core cybercrime do not report the
crime to the police. Underreporting derives from a lack of awareness of victimization and of
reporting mechanisms, victim shame and embarrassment, and perceived reputation risks for
corporations. Authorities in all regions of the world highlighted initiatives for increasing
reporting, including online and hotline reporting systems, public awareness campaigns, private
sector liaison, and enhanced police outreach and information sharing. An incident-driven
response to cybercrime must, however, be accompanied by medium and long-term tactical
investigations that focus on crime markets and criminal scheme architects. Law enforcement
authorities in developed countries are engaged in this area, including through undercover units
targeting offenders on social networking sites, chat rooms, and instant messaging and P2P
services. Challenges in the investigation of cybercrime arise from criminal innovations by
offenders, difficulties in accessing electronic evidence, and from internal resource, capacity and
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