Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 13 August, a project on administrative and criminal liability for illegal access to the telecommunications network was published on the portal for discussion of regulatory legal acts.

The proposed changes to the Criminal Code (a fine in the amount of 100 to 300 minimal sizes of salary or restriction of freedom from one to three years or imprisonment up to three years) are directed against persons, who carry out illegal activities for organizing international communication on a commercial basis. This refers to international traffic.

The issues of restricting access to information and / or information resources, as well as the use of VPN networks, VPN channels, proxy servers, for private purposes or for business are not considered here, the Ministry said.

The proposed changes to the Code of Uzbekistan on administrative responsibility (a fine of 10 to 20 minimal sizes of salary, and on officials - from 20 to 50 minimal sizes of salary, with confiscation of the instrument of the offense) are directed against persons, who unlawfully (unauthorized) gain access to the telecommunications network. For example, against people who have connected to another’s Wi-Fi networks, hacking the access code and using the Internet traffic of the network owner, which is actually a theft.

Analysis of recent computer incidents shows the vulnerability of Wi-Fi networks from unauthorized connections. At the same time, respectable subscribers, whose Wi-Fi network was hacked without their knowledge, have to pay bills for Internet traffic that they did not use.

The Ministry said that he penalties introduced are fully consistent with world practice and are already effective in a number of countries, including the CIS countries. For example, similar administrative and criminal penalties are available in the laws of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and other countries.

MITC said that Uzbekistan plans to develop public zones of free wireless access to the Internet (Wi-Fi-zone). In connection with the spread of Wi-Fi zones throughout the country, there is a need to protect owners of Wi-Fi networks, as well as establishing responsibility for violations in this direction.