Schatz introduces legislation to fight cybercrime and 'equip us with the data we need to go after criminals'

Government
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The Better Cybercrime Metrics Act is intended to improve data collection and give law enforcement a clearer picture of online crimes. | Pixabay

New proposed legislation aims to stop cybercrimes as more people lose money to scams each year. 

"Criminals target hundreds of thousands of people across Hawaii and the country every year with cybercrimes like hacks and scams. In order to protect people, stop these online crimes and provide more support for victims, we need better data. That’s what our new bipartisan bill is all about," U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D) wrote in a Aug. 20 Facebook post.

Schatz -- along with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) -- introduced the act that would improve data collection on cybercrimes, according to Schatz's website.

The legislation would give law enforcement and policymakers more tools to understand the size and scope of cybercrime in the U.S.

"To protect people and fight online crimes, including hacks and scams, we need to understand how often, when and where it’s happening. Our bipartisan bill will equip us with the data we need to go after criminals and provide more support to victims of cybercrime," Schatz said, according to his website.

Many thousands of Americans are targets of cybercrime incidents that cost billions of dollars each year. The different types of cybercrimes include online scams and fraud, corporate data breaches and ransomware attacks. 

Schatz's website states that cybercrime impacts about 300,000 to 700,000 victims each year and cost $4.2 billion in 2020. Cybercrime in Hawaii alone cost $5.4 billion last year, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.