PHOTO: One bill that recently was approved by the State Senate creates two new felony-level cyber crimes to punish those who use technology to advance a terrorist agenda. Photo Courtesy of Art of the Hack
By Michael V. Cusenza
One bill of a package of four proposals recently approved by the State Senate takes aim at terrorism in the digital age.
S. 3404 creates two new felony-level cyber crimes in New York to punish those who use computers and other forms of technology to advance terrorist activity.
“The horrendous recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, combined with our fortunate success in stopping some hateful events before they had a chance to occur, underscores the need to provide our law enforcement agencies and other partners in the fight against terrorism with the tools they need to keep us safe,” said Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.
S. 3404 was one of four anti-terrorism bills that Addabbo and his Upper Chamber colleagues voted in favor of earlier this month.
The other three proposals are:
S. 455, which would establish the crime of terrorism recruitment as a Class C felony; this could be imposed on people who attempt to entice others to engage in any sort of criminal terrorism.
S. 2942 would create several penalty levels for soliciting or providing support for acts of terrorism, with offenders guilty of Class B, C, or D felonies depending on the dollar value of support offered.
S. 5349 would establish a new crime of making a terroristic threat against a police officer as a Class C felony. Under current law, Addabbo explained, making a general terroristic threat – considered a threat made with the intent of intimidating or harming a civilian population, or terrorizing, disrupting, harming or coercing the operation of a governmental unit, especially through threats of murder, assassination, or kidnapping – carries a lesser felony charge.
The package of bills is now under review by the Assembly Committee on Codes.
