Senate VP introduces legislation to combat cybercrime in PR

Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos Santiago

By THE STAR STAFF

Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos Santiago filed a landmark piece of legislation seeking to update Puerto Rico’s Penal Code to address the growing threat of cybercrimes impacting citizens, businesses and government agencies on the island.

The bill proposes adding a new Title VI dedicated exclusively to cybercrimes, with more than 70 new articles that define criminal conduct perpetrated through technological means.

“Technology has become one of the mainstays of our world, but it has also opened the door to new forms of crime that threaten the security, privacy, and assets of our citizens,” Ríos stated. He said the need for the legislation is based on alarming data regarding the incidence of cybercrimes in Puerto Rico. According to the FBI, victims of cybercrimes on the island lost some $7.7 million in 2019, affecting 839 people. Puerto Rico ranks among the top five markets with the highest incidence of cyberattacks in the entire Caribbean, a region that suffers more than 150 million attacks annually. Recently, the government itself has been the victim of significant attacks, including one in December 2025 that disrupted the Department of Education, the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Fund and the State Insurance Fund Corp.

The proposed legislation covers six main chapters, including computer crimes, sexual offenses perpetrated through technology, and crimes against privacy, identity, and individuals, as well as economic and collective crimes. Among the crimes defined are unauthorized access to computer systems, computer sabotage, child pornography, cyberbullying, ransomware, revenge porn, identity theft, online fraud, credit card cloning, and economic or financial panic.

The measure includes enhanced protections when crimes affect government systems, are perpetrated by public officials, or involve minors, with penalties ranging from one to 15 years in prison depending on the severity of the crime.

“This Legislative Assembly has the constitutional responsibility to safeguard the life, property, and security of all members of our society,” Ríos said. “With this measure, we are fulfilling that duty by adapting our laws to the realities of the 21st century and restoring to citizens the legal security they so richly deserve in the digital world.”

The legislator urged his colleagues to expedite the proposed measure, which would take effect as law 180 days after its approval and would apply only to conduct perpetrated after its enactment.