The article provides a comparative analysis of the features of legislative regulation aimed at countering crimes in the sphere of information and communication technologies in the BRICS countries that belong to mixed legal systems — China, India, South Africa and Ethiopia. Despite differences in their foundational legal traditions, all four countries demonstrate a common evolutionary trajectory: from adapting outdated norms to creating comprehensive specialized legislative acts. A common challenge for these mixed jurisdictions remains finding a balance between stringent control measures inherited from authoritarian regimes or colonial pasts and modern requirements for the protection of human rights, including privacy and freedom of expression.