In today’s post 9/11 America, policing and crime have both evolved with the help of the Internet, such as the Silk Road from our Anderson reading for this week. The Internet is making it easier for crimes to be committed secretively, but just as easily publicly. Criminal masterminds such as those behind the Silk Road are able to make practically untraceable transactions online, while at the same time many less-adept criminals can be located thanks to services like Twitter and Facebook. The Internet, and especially the social media services of it are used by government agencies such as the FBI and CIA, as well as local police departments, based on the level and nature of the crimes in question.
However, private institutions can also act as police online. One recent example, taken from the New York Times, is about a young 14-year old Dutch girl impersonating a terrorist on Twitter. She sent out the following tweet: “Hello my name’s Ibrahim and I’m from Afghanistan,” it read. “I’m part of Al Qaida and on June 1st I’m gonna do something really big bye.” American Airlines quickly responded with, “Sarah, we take these threats very seriously. Your IP address and details will be forwarded to security and the FBI.”. This prompt response shows just how seriously this company takes its security, both offline and online. The young girl responded with ““I’m just a girl.” And “I’m so sorry I’m scared now,” essentially begging for forgiveness, and claiming she didn't realize the gravity of her 'joke'. Her local police department said she could face charges, and American Airlines gave no comment , however after threatening to involve the FBI, it was clear that she could have gotten in a lot worse trouble than she did.
These crimes aren't only talked about online, but they are committed. Last week, a Canadian computer science student was arrested for an Internet Privacy Breach, involved in the loss of taxpayer data from Canada's tax agency website. Hackers and traffickers are able to do amazing things online, and much as the crimes have evolved, so have the methods to police them. Just as we learned in class from the Oakland Police Department about using fake Facebook and Twitter followers to catch predators, and how in the Anderson article about the Silk Road, and its eventual end through government intervention.
Times are changing rapidly, and the forces that police need to adapt just as rapidly. New methods to gain information, steal information, and to distribute and sell physical goods and services across the Internet are being established every day, and are becoming harder and harder to trace. Personally, I feel that this new age will promote higher education in government officials and state and local police, and I can see an emphasis on basic computer science and programming knowledge being a requisite for most modern forms of policing in the near future.
Source 1: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/world/europe/dutch-girl-twitter-threat.html?_r=0
Source 2: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/police-charge-canadian-internet-privacy-breach-23354998
Times are changing rapidly, and the forces that police need to adapt just as rapidly. New methods to gain information, steal information, and to distribute and sell physical goods and services across the Internet are being established every day, and are becoming harder and harder to trace. Personally, I feel that this new age will promote higher education in government officials and state and local police, and I can see an emphasis on basic computer science and programming knowledge being a requisite for most modern forms of policing in the near future.
Source 1: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/world/europe/dutch-girl-twitter-threat.html?_r=0
Source 2: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/police-charge-canadian-internet-privacy-breach-23354998
I completely agree that the Internet is a great source of information for the police in this day and age. However, the openness and availability of the internet to people all around the world also entails that governments have to filter through a multitude of meaningless threats. The example of the Dutch girl shows just one of the many threats that are circulated through the internet. The ability of the police to gain information through social media channels also brings up the issue of privacy. Are police constantly monitoring our private feeds in order to catch criminals? Or does internet security have yet to strengthen? As I recall, Silk Road was up and running for years before it was brought down. Sharlene Djuhari
ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to see private corporations take policing actions against their online users. Though I do think that could be dangerous. With any expansion of surveillance by private corporations, I get nervous, even if the expansion is based off of legitimate reasons. There are a lot of ways to over step these bounds and invade in people’s privacy. On the other hand, I really like the idea of police using social media to do their jobs. Social media is becoming an increasingly popular and important aspect of people’s lives, and it is essentially that modern police forces adapt and change to fit these new standards.
ReplyDelete~BriAnne Lynn
Indeed, public police agencies and other government officials should be trained in computer science and programming skills to combat the rapidly increasing cyber crimes.However too much emphasis should not be put on fighting crime on the internet for more conservative ways of facilitating crime exist in person to person interactions. Technology, old and new, can be used to facilitate crime so it's critical to have government agencies develop specialized groups that focus on taking on crime in certain fields. A better way to counter information age crimes is to develop trust with individuals.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post Atreyue! I agree that social media sites, like Twitter for instance, create yet another outlet for the police to track and retain information (policing). As mentioned in a previous comment, I also think that it would be beneficial for police agencies to train their forces in computer science and programming skills, in order to assist them with combatting crime as well as assist in weaning out true threats from simple hoaxes. Overall, I enjoyed this perspective throughly. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI think the internet itself has created a double edged sword. While it may be useful as a tool to help agencies prevent crimes, it is also a took for those wanting to commit crime. You can go on sites such as Youtube and there will be videos teaching you how to commit criminal acts such as how to break into a car which is available for everyone. It gives anyone the power to become criminals who otherwise might not.
ReplyDeleteAtreyue, you provide some interesting insights into how much social media are becoming a new hub of criminality and of surveillance by both private and public policing organizations. With few exceptions, federal law enforcement agencies have the greatest capacity to engage in this domaine, but, yes, local agencies tap into social media, particularly to monitor organized protest, as much as criminal activities. What is disturbing is how little of law enforcement capacity seems attentive to monitoring the electronic and social media communications of powerful interests, like Wall Street, where traces of wrongdoing associated with the housing crisis/last recession seem to have roots. So, you point about who monitors what is an important insight about 21st Century policing.
ReplyDeleteAtreyue,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I can draw many references and different interpretations from it! Your examples make me think that although there are crimes being committed physically in the societal sphere, there is a completely underworld of crimes, or cyber-crimes, being committed via the Internet or social media/networks! Catastrophic events like 911 are the catalysts for the advancement in tighter law enforcement and regulations. But what about online criminal activities? How would we be able to impose stricter regulations? Your post makes me think of these rhetorical questions.
-Jiajun (Michael) Huang
I really liked this blog comment because it is so relevant to our lives as technology is ubiquitous. Truly, it is quite terrifying how much information can be traced and stored online because it seems as though anyone with sufficient knowledge about computers could us this against us. How can we be sure that the security measures outsmart hackers? It makes me feel a bit uneasy to know that some hackers with poor intentions may very well be able to outsmart technological security systems. However, that being said, it is also comforting to know that private policing is making an attempt to get ahead of the issue and preventative measures are taken into account. Interesting how technology can be both our best friend and our enemy, isn't it?
ReplyDelete-Kim Newton
I also liked this blog for this week. I can identify because I am selling my car on my own and things are so much more sophisticated than ten years ago. You have to be careful who you are dealing with on the other side of the screen. I listed the car and the next day, a scam outfit contacted me with a "too good to be true" scenario. Luckily I have someone in my family that is IT and is "wise" to the ways of these online scammers. In turn, it has made me more alert and able to spot possible fraudulant activity. I just feel sorry for those that fall for these scams. ~Shari Gray~
ReplyDeleteThis post demonstrates the points raised in Surveillance book we read that market surveillance is in fact more prevalent and advanced than public surveillance. It also shows us our life in this world is fueled with technologies of all kinds. Market surveillance has its upsides and downsides. This post obviously shows the upsides that law enforcement agencies can make use of tech to surveil illegal activities and protect citizens. Meanwhile, government using tech such as using face Facebook accounts to catch predators may at the same time harass innocent people… It’s hard to not consider the potential risks of this practice such as privacy intrusion. Anyways, it’s a great post.
ReplyDelete-Yu Fu
I found your post really interesting. I agree with you that the internet is a good resource for the police to catch people who are about to commit a crime. I think the internet is a very useful tool to help prevent such crimes. Twitter is a great site for the police to track information and use it to prevent crimes. Though it can be kind of scary to think that someone is watching every move you make on the internet. For example, I think that the police should keep tabs on people who have already committed small crimes like misdemeanors because their likely to commit more crimes.
ReplyDeleteMandeep Thind
It's scary how easily one could be found out, it makes me paranoid about it but at the same time people make stupid things online. People feel so safe and "anonymous" that we forget there are consequences. And yet I'm surprised that while some people do stupid things like that girl they are arrested and charged while others keep doing illegal things like downloading and sharing child pornography and yet still walk free.
ReplyDeleteLiliana Guerrero
I think that it's very interesting that your brought this up. The anonymous aspect of the internet is slowing become less and less anonymous. However, sites like twitter will always be extremely important to the world as they are able to give news and information to the public when governments try to ban the action like what happened in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteTina Truong
Great post. The ability to say anything you want on the internet is very controversial. Sorting through genuine national security threats and false alarms is extremely difficult so it seems that law enforcement has decided to treat all threats on a similar level. Derek Chin
ReplyDeleteThank you for the insightful post. I thought your post tied the beginning of course to what we are learning currently in class very well. My thoughts on cyber crime has not changed throughout the course. It seems to me that we definitely entered a new Information age in which various data is exchanged in the cyber world and this data could be legally or illegally used. In order to tackle the issue of illegal activity in the cyber world, it seems there must be higher urgency to create an efficient cyber policing system.
ReplyDelete-June Shin
This is a very thorough post that greatly illustrates the challenges that police will have to face when fighting the internet crimes. However, this post as well demonstrates how minor offenses may lead to the hypercriminalization of the youth; instead of threatening young people with criminal charges for minor offenses police should concentrate on fighting the major internet crimes (such as identity theft).
ReplyDeleteAlexander Solodovnikov
Atreyue, I really like how your post brings attention to a relatively new problem facing technology safety and crimes. It ties in information from the beginning of the course, and links to the Target data theft. I agree that more steps should be taken to ensure technology safety and limit online theft. As we learned in Musheno's book, credit card fraud committed by two young girls was punishable by a felony, so why shouldn't hackers face the same scrutiny especially since it's done on a larger scale? I believe it is because local police do not have the resources or intelligence to deal with internet crimes. In the case of the Dutch teenager that threatened American Airlines, aside from being an idiot, I don't think she should face any local charges. While I agree local police should take courses on internet safety, I believe internet crimes should be under the jurisdiction of the FBI and national organizations while the local authorities focus on policing their communities. -Victoria Rodriguez
ReplyDeleteThe case of the young girl faking the terrorist is very shocking especially the way the American Airline reacted to the case. Online surveillance has become very powerful as online has become a necessary tool to live a standard life. It is true it was wrong for the girl to tweet such a threatening tweet; however, it is questionable that such a reaction which is public shaming of her was needed. Just as surveillance has developed and the rule of online surveillance should be more structured; exactly because it is easy to identify individual or keep track on people online, the rule of online surveillance should be tailored according to each individual instead of punishing or shaming people indiscriminately.
ReplyDeleteSansi iwamoto
This post touches on a broad range of subjects that we have covered throughout the course including privacy, surveillance, policing, faces of policing, and profiling. I think it is important that we critically evaluate where policing is heading and how policing ought to be conducted. As we have learned, policing is a profession that requires a wide array of skills since budget cuts to public funding has limited access to social programs (so police have had to learn to mediate and address different kinds of social problems outside of crime). I think your point at the very end, that the use of technology and the internet will push departments to have a higher education, was interesting. Police departments, in my opinion, should recruit the most well-rounded and capable individuals since police, more often than not, are our first interaction with the strong arm of the state. - Chelsea Goddard
ReplyDeleteThis excellent post reminds me of a controversy that happened in France last winter and which examplifies the Internet as a completely new tool for crime and policing.
ReplyDeleteA so-called "humorist" named Dieudonne posted on Youtube dozens of videos in which he performed openly anti-Semitic and racist shows. These videos and these shows eventually represented a potential trouble to public order since this man was followed by a huge community of fans. His videos got millions of views and his shows were outsold.
After a risky judicial battle with the highest administrative jurisdictions, the Government managed to ban his show. However, the videos remain on Youtube and this man goes on making his anti-Semitic propaganda freely on the Internet.
This case shows that virtual criminality cannot be handled with the same legal tools as in "material" life. It also asks the key questions : must the Internet remain a totally free space, where everyone can express everything one wants, even the most despicable viewpoints ? Or must it be regulated by the democratic Governments ? And if yes, how ? Can democracies afford filters similar to the ones which are enforced in Turkey and China ?
Romain MILLARD
This is a great post and a very important topic. Internet usage has skyrocketed in the last couple of years and it is becoming one of the most powerful tools for criminals and the police. I am mostly intrigued by you end comments with higher education. As I am about to graduate, I have realized that I do not know all too much about computer science and programming. This is becoming a problem for me because the internet is such a fast-paced forum that employers want people who can work computers and computer systems. I agree that there should be an emphasis on that type of education incorporated with the regular education we already receive. Times are changing and they are changing fast. The police and new recruits need to be on top of all the latest websites and apps to keep up with the mastermind criminals and stop their illegal activity. Thanks for sharing your post. I think it is a great topic to be discussed. -Brooke Arthur
ReplyDeleteThis post shows the dangers that can lurk on the internet both online and offline. This post also talks about the potential ways police can surveil people and police people both online and offline. For instance, many child molesters and kidnappers use the internet to meet and greet young children away from their homes. Today, the internet is being used by younger people. These child molesters and kidnappers are finding easier ways to make children trust them. At the same time, we have the police surveilling the internet. Police officers at time pose as young children on the internet, trying to find out who is committing crimes. There have been many cases where the police have been able to arrest child molesters, drug dealers, and different criminals through online chat rooms. I think that you are right about how times are changing rapidly because all of our information online can be stolen, used against us, and sold to other people around the world.
ReplyDelete- Jordan Ho
In this new digital age, there exists a digital divide between those who can afford to maintain monthly internet cable service and have a laptop. Inevitably, the ones who will be advancing and learning to use and facilitate the monitoring of our user data will not be the poor, but those who grew up with the resources to teach or learn the computer skills necessary to obtain the job.
ReplyDeleteShiwei Chen
I think that technology could be useful for the officers and also security of the nation. But sometimes I feel like it is easier for them to violate people's privacy making people not safe. However, with a lot of developed technologies such as metal detector, speed limit radar, or statistical system that can record each criminals profile, making their jobs easier but not always effective. I believe that proper education and attitudes are important when it comes to using technology to try to arrest or prove them guilty.
ReplyDeleteWarinya Rojanasuwan
You did a great job of incorporating a big array of course material. Along with bringing up a lot very current issues. It's important to highlight the shift in policing styles and methods post-911.
ReplyDelete-Mark Sheppard