On 17 August, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) expressed the EU’s concerns about the revised cybercrime law adopted by Jordan.
He said that while the EU supports the country’s objective of having a solid legislative framework to deal with and counter cybercrime effectively and to respond to the new security challenges in this area, “some of the provisions of the new Cybercrimes Law depart from international human rights standards and could result in limiting freedom of expression online and offline”.
According to the UN, the law, in particular, “unduly restricts and criminalises the online activities of individuals and organisations”, criminalises the circumvention of IP addresses and allows the authorities to remove or block content without proper judicial review.
According to the EEAS spokesperson, freedom of expression and media and open debate, including online, are essential for democratic, prosperous and stable societies and are part of the political modernisation process launched by King Abdullah II.
He invited the Jordanian authorities to ensure full respect for fundamental freedoms when implementing the law, in accordance with Jordan’s international obligations. “Consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including Jordanian civil society, would be of the essence in this regard”, he warned. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)