Crime and technology – Challenges or solutions?
Taking advantage of new technologies: For and against crime

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Abstract

Advancement in the field of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) changes not only our society but also crime. It opens more opportunities for crime and draws people into committing crime, leading to an unprecedented growth in the crime rate. On the other hand, it has also been applied to criminal justice. Crime fighters use the ICTs to control crime and gain efficiency in their policing efforts to service the community. This has led to more effective police work. As both criminals and police benefit from ICTs, these new technologies create new pitfalls for both criminals and law enforcement. Use of technologies by criminals represents challenges and risks to the crime fighter and vice versa. This triggers a crime race and raises notable social concerns on the adverse use and potential abuse of ICTs. Proactive territorial-based regulations, although called for, do not always provide solutions. The borderless nature of ICTs may not allow for rigid regulations and instead challenges the principle of criminal laws. As such, international laws and regulations combined with reliance on technologies are crucial to counter the crime race.

Introduction

Crime is a major social and legal problem in the world we live in. It triggers fear but at the same time evokes profound fascination. It challenges the normative order and simultaneously marks the limits of the law. Confronting crime means facing the reality of constant change in our society. Crime changes with time and circumstances. As society develops, crime develops. Often, things that facilitate social development also do the same to crime. New technologies, which undoubtedly have a significant role in the changes in our society, are constantly being exploited by both criminals and crime fighters. Criminals use new technologies to facilitate and maximise criminal activities, while police use new technologies to do the opposite, i.e. minimizing or controlling criminal activities.

This article will look into how criminals and crime fighters take advantage of new technologies, with considerable emphasis on ICTs. This paper is not an attempt to provide an exhaustive list or extensive descriptions of new technologies to assist or combat crime. Rather, the technology is briefly discussed to elaborate how its exploitation affects not only those who exploit it but also the face of crime and society in general. Indeed, the application of new technologies has brought many advantages to the police's work and society in general. Nevertheless, criminals also enjoy benefits from using ICTs in their practices. Therefore, the concern on appropriate, responsible and legitimate use of ICTs becomes more significant than ever.

Section snippets

Crime enhancing technology

New technologies bring new opportunities for criminality. With the help of globalisation, such opportunities are rising at an “unprecedented rate”.1 New technologies have now become the subject (place), object (target), tools (instrument) and symbol of crime.

Two sides of the same coin

In light of the above, it appears that the list of technologies used for and against crime is rather long. The list is far from exhaustive, but it shows that technologies have changed the way in which both criminals and police work. It shows that both criminals and police gain considerable benefits from exploiting new technologies. These benefits are in fact both a risk and a challenge to their respective counterparts. Exploitation of technologies by criminals is an inherent risk for law

Societal impacts

The role of ICTs in the context of crime control presents some notable implications for society in general. ICTs facilitate community education, influence behavioural change, and raise various public concerns while at the same time strengthening the impetus for law reform.

Concluding remarks

Technology is a democratic instrument. It can be exploited by anyone, regardless of who that person is or the motive or aim for the exploitation. New technologies, especially in the field of ICTs, have opened new doors and created new pitfalls for both criminals and law enforcement. They provide police with crime control tools and criminals with crime enhancing tools. Applied intelligently, technology can change and improve the practices of both the criminal and the crime fighter alike.

As new

Maryke Silalahi Nuth ([email protected]) Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL), University of Oslo, Norway.

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Maryke Silalahi Nuth ([email protected]) Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL), University of Oslo, Norway.

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