Increase in Online Crime Demands Clarity and Direction
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Online crime is nothing new, but with statistics soaring through the roof it may be time to take a closer look into what defines the law of the web.
The birth of the internet has embedded a world within our
own, but the digital landscape, with all its differences, cannot be governed in
tandem with the laws of the land; the real land of hard rocks and foggy minds,
not that of hard discs and memory sticks and fibre optic jargon.
In a world where time and distance are dissolved, where
space is created like words on page, we must address the need for a carefully
considered adaptation of our law, and also define the freedoms of the extended
minds we find online.
Whilst we ponder these problems of self, however, possible
online crimes are constantly committed, shrouded by the ambiguity of unpolished
policy. Sex crimes are indubitably still simply black and white, but harassment,
conflicted with the freedom of speech is a stickier puddle to muddle through.
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Facebook is the social networking site to have seen the
biggest increase in harassment related crime in last two years. Recent records
from the British Police have confirmed 1,207 cases, demonstrating a 21%
increase in user’s online criminal activity. Twitter on the other hand have seen
a proportionally smaller increase, with the London Met Police stating a 19%
rise, having recorded 138 more offences over the last year.
Interestingly, Twitter has a much smaller percent of their
user-base recorded as having committed a crime of harassment, this is converse
to the perception normally enforced by the news; it seems every other day we
are forcibly informed of a Twitter troll’s cruel words breaching another’s
right to live free from abuse.
David Cameron has even stepped in to offer his opinion of
the recently trending #HitlerWasRight hashtag, stating the report was "hugely
important". Thanks Dave. This was said in the context of the proposal to
ban abusive users from social networks sites, a similar fate to that suffered by
sex offenders, a sort of virtual imprisonment.
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A lot of policy surrounding social media sites seems to be
placed on the shoulders of the sites themselves, so if we are to believe that
the online world needs policing, an independent body of judgement must be
established. Websites should not be left to create untested laws and be criticised
by their failure to find justice, it’s just too much work to do. We would never
expect a pub to define its own law, separate to that of state, so we certainly
should not expect that of Facebook a place, many describe as a second home, our
blue and white world.
Leo Donnelly
Leo Donnelly
Ever wondered what would happen if you gave a half-crazed, semi-concussed, unstoppable maverick a platform to write about social media? Follow him @LeoAtSMF
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Increase in Online Crime Demands Clarity and Direction
Reviewed by Unknown
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Sunday, May 17, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Sunday, May 17, 2015
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