What kind of legislation governs ICT (Information and Communication Technologies)?

Many acts of legislation have been introduced since the early 1990s to make acts such as computer hacking, fraud, blackmail and the spread of computer viruses illegal. Prior to that time, older laws did not anticipate the new realities introduced by the widespread use of ICT.

In Great Britain, the Computer Misuse Act was introduced in 1990 specifically to deal with those issues. Other laws have been enacted globally to address many other issues, including:

• Protection of children online
• Data security
• E-commerce and the security of transactions online
• Legal acceptance of digital signatures
• Accessibility of digital technology for disabled persons.

Efforts have also been made to harmonize these laws across international borders.