HANOI – More than 60 countries signed the first-ever United Nations treaty on cybercrime in Hanoi on Saturday, marking a historic step toward building global cooperation against online criminal activity. However, the treaty has drawn sharp criticism from tech companies and human rights groups, who warn it could lead to increased state surveillance and misuse of power.
The new UN Convention against Cybercrime aims to combat digital offenses such as online scams, child exploitation, and money laundering, and will come into force once ratified by participating states. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the agreement an “important milestone,” but noted it was “only the beginning” of global efforts to strengthen cybersecurity.
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Originally proposed by Russia in 2017 and approved last year, the treaty has faced pushback due to its broad and vague provisions. Critics argue it could compel companies to share user data with governments and enable cross-border repression of journalists and political opponents. Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, founder of the Tech Global Institute, cautioned that the treaty “rubber-stamps a problematic practice used against journalists and activists.”
Major tech firms including Meta, Dell, and Infosys, represented by the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, boycotted the signing ceremony, warning that the convention’s scope could criminalize cybersecurity research and threaten data privacy worldwide. Meanwhile, human rights organizations labeled the treaty’s safeguards as “weak,” expressing concern over its potential misuse by authoritarian regimes.
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Observers also questioned the choice of Vietnam as the host, citing its tight controls on online expression. Critics highlighted that while the treaty aims to tackle global cybercrime, its implementation could undermine digital rights, especially in countries with poor human rights records.