14 DAY TRIAL // The government of another country wants to give law enforcement agencies the ability to install spyware on the devices of individuals suspected of committing serious offences. This time, Spain’s Justice Ministry has drafted a bill that will allow judges to authorize the police to install spyware.
According to El Pais, the police will be able to install spy applications on the tablets, computers and smartphones of individuals suspected of being involved in a crime that carries a minimum three-year sentence.
If the law passes, people believed to be involved with organized crime or terrorists can also have their computing devices infected with spyware. The only condition that must be met is for the targeted machine to be within Spanish territory.
The bill will force both Internet service providers and users to cooperate with authorities if they can facilitate access to the targeted data.
The Spanish Justice Ministry is currently working with various organizations to analyze the impact of the bill.
Experts believe that while such a piece of legislation would be highly beneficial for authorities, the privacy implications and the effects on civil liberties cannot be ignored.