ABSTRACT
Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.
R. Buckminster Fuller, developer of the geodesic dome (1895-1983)
The previous chapter charted the evolution of computers and computer misuse up to the enactment of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. This chapter will continue those two parallel evolutionary strands: the continued progression in computing power, reach and accessibility post-1990 and the consequent expansion of the types of computer misuse. Following on from the conclusion of the last chapter which discussed the offences created by the 1990 Act, this chapter will examine whether or not the Act was effective in controlling the problem together with any potential reasons for any ineffectiveness. It will consider both prosecution rates and judicial interpretation. This chapter will conclude with a survey of the various attempts that have been made to update the 1990 Act, discussing the driving forces behind these attempts and their outcomes, analysing the amendments to the 1990 Act made by the Police and Justice Act 2006 and considering the possible ramifications of those amendments.
