In fulfillment of the recommendations from the Meetings of Ministers of justice or other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA), as well as the recommendations of the REMJA’s Working Group on Cybercrime, the OAS Technical Secretariat has compiled the existing cyber-crime legislation of the OAS Member States.    

         In addition, pursuant to REMJA recommendations, in the sense that OAS Member States give consideration to applying the principles of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cyber-Crime and to acceding thereto, and to adopting the legal and other measures required for its implementation, the Technical Secretariat has grouped the existing legislation according to (1) the substantive offenses provided for by the Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime; and (2) the procedural provisions contained therein. 

• Ilegal Access

  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 2 – Illegal access. Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally, the access to the whole or any part of a computer system without right. A Party may require that the offence be committed by infringing security measures, with the intent of obtaining computer data or other dishonest intent, or in relation to a computer system that is connected to another computer system

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Sections 3 and 4 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2006

  • Argentina

    • Artículo 153 bis y 157 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Sections 3, 4 and 6 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Section 4 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Bolivia

    • Artículo 363 del Código Penal

  • Chile

    • Artículo 2 de la Ley Relativa a Delitos Informáticos (19.233)

  • Colombia

    • Artículo 269A, Ley, Protección de la Información y de los Datos

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 94 del Código de Normas y Procedimientos Tributarios (Ley No.4755 de 3 de mayo de 1971)

    • Artículo 221 de la Ley General de Aduanas (No. 7557 de 20 de octubre de 1995)

    •  Artículo 196 bis del Código Penal

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 6 de la ley 53/07 Contra Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología

  • Ecuador

    • Artículo 59, Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Firmas Electrónicas y Mensajes de Datos (Ley No. 2002-67)

  • Nicaragua

    • Artículo 198 del Código Penal

  • Panama

    • Artículo 283 del Código Penal

  • Peru

    • Artículo 207-A del Código Penal

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 66 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2000

  • United States

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 6 de la Ley Especial Contra los Delitos Informaticos

• Ilegal Interception
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 3 – Illegal Interception. Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally, the interception without right, made by technical means, of non-public transmissions of computer data to, from or within a computer system, including electromagnetic emissions from a computer system carrying such computer data. A Party may require that the offence be committed with dishonest intent, or in relation to a computer system that is connected to another computer system.

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Argentina

    • Artículo 153 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Section 6 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Computer Misuse Act Section 7

  • Chile

    • Artículo 2 de la Ley Relativa a Delitos Informáticos (19.233)

  • Colombia

    • Artículo 269C, Ley, Protección de la Información y de los Datos

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 196bis del Código Penal

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 9 de la Ley 53/07 Contra Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología

  • Guyana

    • Section 3, Interception of Communications Act, 2008

  • Honduras

    • Artículo 214 del Código Penal

  • Nicaragua

    • Artículo 198 del Código Penal

  • Panama

    • Artículo 284 del Código Penal

  • Paraguay

    • Artículo 146 del Código Penal

  • Peru

    • Artículo 207-A del Código Penal

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 69 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Section 6 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2000

  • United States

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 21 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informáticos

• Data Interference
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 4 – Data Interference.

    • Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally, the damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data without right.

    • A Party may reserve the right to require that the conduct described in paragraph 1 result in serious harm.

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Sections 5 and 7 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2006

  • Argentina

    • Artículo 183 y 184 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Section 7 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Section 5 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Bolivia

    • Artículo 363 del Código Penal

  • Chile

    • Artículo 3 de la Ley Relativa a Delitos Informáticos (19.233)

  • Colombia

    • Artículo 269D, Ley, Protección de la Información y de los Datos

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 229bis del Código Penal

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 10 de la Ley 53/07 Contra Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología

  • Ecuador

    • Artículos 60 y 62, Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Firmas Electrónicas y Mensajes de Datos (Ley No. 2002-67)

  • Guatemala

    • Artículo 274 A del Código Penal

  • Honduras

    • Artículo 254 del Código Penal

  • Mexico

    • Artículos 211bis1 al 211bis7 del Código Penal Federal

  • Paraguay

    • Artículo 174 del Código Penal

  • Peru

    • Artículo 207-B del Código Penal

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 67 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • Suriname

    • Article 414 of the Penal Code

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Section 5 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2000

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 7 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informaticos

• System Interference
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 5 -- System Interference. Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally, the serious hindering without right of the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data.

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Sections 7, 11 and 12 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2006

  • Argentina

    • Artículos 183, 184 y 197 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Section 7 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Section 6 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Chile

    • Artículo 1 de la Ley Relativa a Delitos Informáticos (19.233)

  • Colombia

    • Artículo 269B, Ley, Protección de la Información y de los Datos

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 229bis del Código Penal

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 11 de la Ley 53/07 contra el Delito Cibernético

  • Ecuador

    • Artículos 60 y 62, Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Firmas Electrónicas y Mensajes de Datos (Ley No. 2002-67)

  • Honduras

    • Artículo 214 del Código Penal

  • Panama

    • Artículo 284 de Código Penal

  • Paraguay

    • Artículo 175 del Código Penal

  • Peru

    • Artículos 207-A y 207-B del Código Penal

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 68 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • Suriname

    • Article 414 of the Penal Code

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Sections 7 and 11 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2000

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 7 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informáticos

• Misuse of Devices
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 6 – Misuse of Devices

    • Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally and without right:

      • the production, sale, procurement for use, import, distribution or otherwise making available of:

        • a device, including a computer program, designed or adapted primarily for the purpose of committing any of the offences established in accordance with Articles 2 through 5;

        • a computer password, access code, or similar data by which the whole or any part of a computer system is capable of being accessed,

        • with intent that it be used for the purpose of committing any of the offences established in Articles 2 through 5; and

      • the possession of an item referred to in paragraphs a.i or ii above, with intent that it be used for the purpose of committing any of the offences established in Articles 2 through 5. A Party may require by law that a number of such items be possessed before criminal liability attaches.

    • This article shall not be interpreted as imposing criminal liability where the production, sale, procurement for use, import, distribution or otherwise making available or possession referred to in paragraph 1 of this article is not for the purpose of committing an offence established in accordance with Articles 2 through 5 of this Convention, such as for the authorised testing or protection of a computer system.

    • Each Party may reserve the right not to apply paragraph 1 of this article, provided that the reservation does not concern the sale, distribution or otherwise making available of the items referred to in paragraph 1 a.ii of this article.

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Section 13 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2006

  • Argentina

    • Artículo 183 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Section 6 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Section 8 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Colombia

    • Artículo 193 del Código Penal (Ley 599 de 2000)

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 8 de la Ley 53/07 contra el Delito Cibernético

  • Ecuador

    • Artículos 63 y 64, Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Firmas Electrónicas y Mensajes de Datos (Ley No. 2002-67)

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 70 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 10 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informaticos

• Computer Related Forgery
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 7 - Computer Related Forgery. Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally and without right, the input, alteration, deletion, or suppression of computer data, resulting in inauthentic data with the intent that it be considered or acted upon for legal purposes as if it were authentic, regardless whether or not the data is directly readable and intelligible. A Party may require an intent to defraud, or similar dishonest intent, before criminal liability attaches.

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Argentina

    • Artículo 77 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Section 4 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Section 9 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 217bis del Código Penal

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 18 de la Ley 53/07 contra el Delito Cibernético

  • Ecuador

    • Artículo 61, Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Firmas Electrónicas y Mensajes de Datos (Ley No. 2002-67)

  • Grenada

    • Sections 441(1) of the Criminal Code

  • Guatemala

    • Artículo 274 E del Código Penal

  • Nicaragua

    • Artículo 39 y 284 del Código Penal

  • Panamá

    • Artículos 362 y 364 del Código Penal

    • Artículo 61, Ley 51 de 2008. Documentos y Firmas Electrónica

  • Paraguay

    • Artículo 248 del Código Penal

  • Suriname

    • Article 278 of the Penal Code

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 12 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informaticos

• Computer Related Fraud
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 8 – Computer Related Fraud

    • Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally and without right, the causing of a loss of property to another person by:

      • any input, alteration, deletion or suppression of computer data,

      • any interference with the functioning of a computer system, with fraudulent or dishonest intent of procuring, without right, an economic benefit for oneself or for another person.

  OAS Country Legislation

  • Argentina

    • Artículos 172 y 173 del Código Penal

  • Bahamas

    • Section 4 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2003

  • Barbados

    • Section 9 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Colombia

    • Artículo 69K de la Ley 1273 de 2009

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 217bis del Código Penal

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículos 13 - 16 sobre Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología

  • Ecuador

    • Artículo 61, Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Firmas Electrónicas y Mensajes de Datos (Ley No. 2002-67)

  • Grenada

    • Sections 441(1) of the Criminal Code  

  • Guatemala

    • Artículo 274 E del Código Penal

  • Panama

    • Artículos 216 y 222 del Código Penal

  • Paraguay

    • Artículo 188 del Código Penal

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 72 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • Suriname

    • Article 286 of the Penal Code

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Section 4 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2000

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 14 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informaticos

• Child Pornography
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 9 – Offences Related to Child Pornography

    • Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally and without right, the following conduct:

      • producing child pornography for the purpose of its distribution through a computer system;

      • offering or making available child pornography through a computer system;

      • distributing or transmitting child pornography through a computer system;

      • procuring child pornography through a computer system for oneself or for another person;

      • possessing child pornography in a computer system or on a computer-data storage medium.

    • For the purpose of paragraph 1 above, the term "child pornography" shall include pornographic material that visually depicts:

      • a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct;

      • a person appearing to be a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct;

      • realistic images representing a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    • For the purpose of paragraph 2 above, the term "minor" shall include all persons under 18 years of age. A Party may, however, require a lower age-limit, which shall be not less than 16 years.

    • Each Party may reserve the right not to apply, in whole or in part, paragraphs 1, sub-paragraphs d. and e, and 2, sub-paragraphs b. and c.

  OAS Country Legislation
  • Antigua and Barbuda
    • Section 15 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2006
  • Argentina
    • Artículos 128 del Códigp Penal
  • Barbados

    • Section 13 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2005

  • Bolivia

    • Artículo 281 de la Ley N° 3325 de 18 de enero de 2006, Trafico de Personas y Otros Delitos Relacionados

  • Brazil

    • Artículo 241 de la Ley N. 8069, del 13 de julio de 1990, modificada por la Ley N º 10.764 del 12 de noviembre de 2003  

  • Dominican Republic

    • Artículo 24 de la Ley 53/07 contra el Delito Cibernético

  • Ecuador

    • Artículo 528.7 del Código Penal

  • Honduras

    • Artículo 149-C del Código Penal

  • Nicaragua

    • Artículo 175 del Código Penal

  • Panama

    • Artículos 181 y 182 del Código Penal

  • Paraguay

    • Artículo 140 de la Ley 3440/07

  • Peru

    • Article 183-A of the Criminal Code

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Section 71 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2007

  • United States

    • 18 USC Section 1466A – Obscene visual reproduction of the sexual abuse of children

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 24 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informáticos

• Copyright Infringement
  Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-Crime Definition

  • Article 10 - Offences Related to Infringements of Copyright and Related Rights

    • Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law the infringement of copyright, as defined under the law of that Party, pursuant to the obligations it has undertaken under the Paris Act of 24 July 1971 revising the Bern Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the WIPO Copyright Treaty, with the exception of any moral rights conferred by such conventions, where such acts are committed wilfully, on a commercial scale and by means of a computer system.

    • Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences under its domestic law the infringement of related rights, as defined under the law of that Party, pursuant to the obligations it has undertaken under the International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations (Rome Convention), the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, with the exception of any moral rights conferred by such conventions, where such acts are committed wilfully, on a commercial scale and by means of a computer system.

    • A Party may reserve the right not to impose criminal liability under paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article in limited circumstances, provided that other effective remedies are available and that such reservation does not derogate from the Party’s international obligations set forth in the international instruments referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article.

  OAS Country Legislation
  • Argentina

    • Artículo 71 de la Ley de la Propiedad Intelectual (11.723)

  • Costa Rica

    • Artículo 51 de la Ley de Procedimientos de Observancia de los Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual (No. 8039  de 12 de octubre de 2000)

  • Dominican Republic
    • Artículo 25 de la Ley 53/07 contra el Delito Cibernético
  • Grenada
    • Chapter 67 of Volume III
  • Honduras
    • Artículo 248C del Código Penal
  • Panama

    • Artículos 258 y 259 del Código Penal

  • United States

    • 17 USC Section 506 (Copyrights)

  • Venezuela

    • Artículo 25 de la Ley Especial Contra Los Delitos Informáticos