Spammers to get ASBOs

A Home Office proposal has called for new powers to ban suspected spammers and hackers from using the web.

The idea, contained in a new green paper, would see courts hand out the equivalent of the cyber equivalent of anti-social behaviour orders when police lack sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

Despite civil liberty concerns, suspects given an order could be required to give police their computer equipment, have their credit cards stopped and be prevented from accessing the internet.

"Currently law enforcement authorities essentially have a choice between prosecution or no action when dealing with organised crime," said Home Secretary John Reid in his introduction to the paper.

"That can be a stark and unproductive choice and we see a place for something in between – organised crime prevention orders – which could be imposed on individuals or organisations in such a way as to prevent organised criminality continuing."

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