UK police want more powers to deal with increasing cases of cyber-stalking or online harassment. 
 
Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan, of Greater Manchester, recently met ministers at the Home Office and urged them to grant police more powers to confiscate computers used in cyber-stalking.
 
Shewan also urged the ministers to review if the more than a decade old laws governing online stalking fit for the present day situations.
 
Commenting on the topic, Shewan said, “The legislation is 12 years old and I don't think anyone envisaged 12 years ago the extent that the World Wide Web would open up opportunities to harass and stalk people via the internet.”
 
It is easy to determine which computer is used in harassing people online, though it is not that much easy who used that computer. But, the police believe that power to confiscate the computer used in online stalking will help them deal with the problem more efficiently.
 
The expansion of the technology has given cyber criminal unprecedented powers. Trojan spyware and viruses are being widely used by cyber criminals to hack into computers to steal their personal information and even furtively switch on their webcam.
 
Yet exciting laws make it difficult for police to seize computers used in hacking unless they prove that there was a purpose to cause distress.
 
Meanwhile, Home Office assured that it was working with the police, Crown Prosecution Service and others to ensure robust laws to deal with the issue.