Overview
- The agreement creates an international legal framework for cooperation on offenses ranging from child sexual abuse material to online scams and money laundering.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the signing an important first step and urged a strong, coordinated global response to cybercrime.
- A business delegation representing more than 160 tech firms, including Meta, Dell and Infosys, boycotted the ceremony, warning the text could criminalize security research and compel expansive data sharing.
- Around a dozen human-rights NGOs criticized what they describe as weak safeguards, saying the convention enables monitoring, retention and cross-border exchange of information that could facilitate repression.
- The convention originated from a 2017 Russian proposal and was approved by consensus in 2024, and the choice of Hanoi drew scrutiny given Vietnam’s record on silencing online dissent.