Introduction
Since its inception, internet has affected society in several ways. Internet connects people to the world and makes our life easy. It facilitates people in using, sharing and communicating ideas. People can send and receive ideas, documents, pictures and videos from anywhere to different parts of the world. Due to all these features, internet has emerged as one effective medium of committing crimes because they can operate from any part of the world without revealing their identity. If internet is useful for criminals, it is also very useful for different law enforcement agencies. Police and other law enforcement agencies use internet for solving crimes and for an effective digital vigilantes on various suspicious activities. This paper intends to discuss how digital vigilantes affect social safety and solving crimes.
Background
Gone are the days when crime was confined to physical world and by hearing the word, “Crime”, people anticipated commission of any shoplifting, murder, attack or other similar crimes. Now crime has different facets and its area has become wider than anything else. Millions of dollars are duped by thugs who operate on the internet and trap people without even revealing their identities. They may be sitting in any part of the world and it becomes almost impossible to trace them in various incidents.
Internet has become an inseparable part of millions of people. Internet is one of the most powerful mediums of communication. After the emergence of social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, Instagram, google and YouTube many people use the internet for hours. People spend substantial amount of time on these networking sites. These networking sites provide an easy platform for the users and enable them to send, receive and share information, documents, files, pictures and videos (Manning, 2008).
Users of social networking sites disclose various relevant information about them while using these networking sites. They also provide their details, address, activities, school, college, contact number and various other significant information on the internet. All these information are accessible for a huge number of users. This information can be easily manipulated by criminals who always keep peeping for their vulnerable targets. A number of economic fraudulent activities take place by using the internet. Internet is full of sexual predators, spammers and frauds. Various criminals operate their criminal activities son internet. Internet is used enormously in drug related crimes, sexual crimes like date rape and rape.
Social Security and Digital Vigilante
A number of criminal incidents and rise in criminal activities have compelled law enforcement agencies to increase vigilance on the internet. Various agencies have started digital vigilantes in order to check criminal activities and also to solve various crimes. Digital vigilance plays very significant role in social safety. Digital vigilante does not necessarily mean the supervision of suspicious activities by law enforcement agencies only but also by general public. It has been observed in a number of cases wherein people informed police about suspicious activities on the internet and police busted the criminals (Bouchard, 1995).
Police use crowd-sourcing to prevent the crime before their occurrence. In present scenario crimes are not limited to shooting, shoplifting, or trading of illegal drugs. Social media is playing significant role in the crime which resulted in increasing digital vigilance. A survey conducted by the Canada justice system revealed that the crime that was increasing since 1991 started declining and reduced significantly till year 2012. The survey shows that advancing technology has various advantages in terms of solving crimes and reducing rate of criminal activities (Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2014).
Huey et al. (2012) in their research study describe the distributed nature of online information technology, and how collaborative efforts of general public and police deal with security issues. The authors mentioned that general public plays an important role in identifying criminal activities taking place on the internet. General public or civilian police utilizes their skills in identifying criminal activities, gathering information, and tracking criminal offenders. Police along with the general public deal with cyber security crimes. Huey et al. mentioned that police should promote such partnership between general public and the police (Huey et al., 2012).
Dennis (2008) in his article talked about how digital technologies are increasing incidences of self-surveillance and digital vigilance. Technology helps people in taking recording of any crime, and posting it on the internet or informing police. According to the author, citizens are utilizing technology to protect themselves and the community. The author also elaborates upon citizen journalism in which people record event or crisis on their mobile phones. Such recordings work as an evidence of the crime. It has also become common to click the pictures of community punishment and upload it on internet. This new form of digital surveillance is helping police and general public in decreasing the crime rate significantly (Dennis, 2008).
Law Enforcement Agencies’ Mechanism of Digital Vigilantes
Melvin colon was busted by the New York police after he posted some material on Facebook that indicated his involvement in gang related activities. His post was shared by one of his friends and consequently in knowledge of police. Police contacted his friend who agreed to let the cops peep into Colon’s Facebook account. Police found various evidences and hints that suggested his involvement in various crimes including murder, drug and weapon related crimes. The role of New York police was highly appreciated.
Now law enforcement agencies have increases their vigilance on the internet. They get various crucial information about crimes and criminals directly or indirectly. In fact digital vigilante has become easier in some cases as agencies easily get various clues regarding the suspects. Reconnoitering the activities and friends of accused is much easier yet effective on the internet. Suspects who are very active on the internet leave a number of evidences ad they can be traced by their activities (Trottier & Fuchs, 2014).
Cincinnati police busted a local gang and arrested dozens of criminals by the help of digital vigilantes. Police followed the activities of gang members for months and then they created a list of their activities, friends and contact numbers. An extensive database was prepared by the police with the help of institute of crime department of university of Cincinnati. Special focus was made on the members who used to blab about their activities on the internet. Police busted the gang very easily along with corroborating evidences.
Now law enforcement agencies have realized the importance of digital vigilantes and they have learned a lot by their past operations, as well as, experiences. Now cops make fake profiles with pictures of attractive people and befriend with the suspects. They try to get information by using their friendship and when they gather enough evidences, criminals are busted. Suspects who talk big about their activities on the internet are like boons for the policemen and they come in the net very easily (Nunn, 2001).
Apart from the abovementioned mechanisms, law enforcement agencies have the authority to gather information about suspects from the social networking sites. Police can access account of any suspect if the agency has ample and reasonable grounds for the same. All websites including social networking sites assist the law enforcement agencies in nabbing criminals. These sites require summon for disclosing private data from accounts of users and assist police when police places request before them.
In case of any emergency, law enforcement agencies can gather data form any user’s account by putting an emergency request before networking sites. In an incident, New York police came to know about a threat from a twitter account. The user threatened to kill 600 people in a New York theatre that was about to host Mike Tyson’s show. When police requested twitter to disclose the account of that user, twitter refused request of police. Police then approached district attorney and managed to get a subpoena. Twitter was compelled to reveal the information of that user and the user was arrested consequently (Pattavina, 2005).
Starbird et al. (2014) in their report describe the impact of social media in spreading rumors. The authors describe role of twitter in spreading information on Boston Marathon bombing, and how spread of information resulted in addition of rumors and misinformation. Various research studies conducted on the subject revealed that crowd-sourcing facilitates the flow of correct information. However, research conducted by Starbird et al. revealed that social media helps in spreading the rumors which is a crime. It is important for the police to identify such crimes committed on the net that mislead people by spreading false information (Starbird et al. , 2014).
Law enforcement agencies are familiar with the reach and effect of social media. These agencies keep a close vigilance on the internet in order to provide security to society by controlling crimes. The world of internet and social networking sites is changing very rapidly and law enforcement agencies are trying to adjust themselves with the fast moving digital world. Though these agencies need a number of things in order to improve their digital vigilance but their past performance shows that they are very serious about it. Their digital vigilantes has become alarming for criminals who operate through the internet (Pattavina, 2005).
Police utilizes social media not only to watch criminal activities but also to inform general public about on various criminal activities. Police uses Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to send crime alerts and various tips that can be utilized by the general public in preventing the crime before its occurrence. Police post videos of criminal activities and seek information related with their identity from the general public. Social networking sites also help police in gathering information related with missing persons. Social networking sites made process of information gathering much easier than the time when there was no such technology.
Hummer (2007) in his research study analyzed the impact of advancing technology on police performance. The author mentioned that innovation in software and hardware technologies helped police in identifying and reaching to the criminals. Police now have latest software that can analyze the data or information in order to identify possible threats. These software are capable to divide the threats in different categories such as sex crimes, bullying and various other. Data sharing by using social networking sites, crime analysis and mapping software, and early intervention and warning system enabled police to track the crimes and also to identify different solutions to the crimes (Hummer, 2007).
Conclusion
Having observed an overview and succinct analysis of the abovementioned subject, this paper concludes that digital vigilante plays very significant role in securing society and controlling the crime. Police has successfully solved a number of cases and prevented various criminal activities by the help of digital vigilante. A number of criminals and their gangs have been busted by police by gathering significant information from their social networking accounts. Police and other law enforcement agencies are well aware of the reach and significance of the internet and this is the reason why they are paying much attention on the internet digital vigilantes.
References
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Dennis, K. (2008). Viewpoint: Keeping a close watch– the rise of self-surveillance and the threat of digital exposure. The Sociological Review, 56(3), 347–357.
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Hummer, D. (2007). Policing and “Hard” Technology” In: BYRNE, J. and REBOVICH,. In J. a. Byrne, The New technology of Crime, Law and Social Control (pp. 133-152). New York: Criminal Justice Press.
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Starbird, K., Maddock, J., Orand, M., Achterman, P., & Mason, R. M. . (2014). Rumors, False Flags, and Digital Vigilantes: Misinformation on Twitter after the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. iConference 2014 Proceedings, 654 - 662.
Trottier, D., & Fuchs, C. (2014). Social Media, Politics and the State: Protests, Revolutions, Riots, Crime and Policing in the Age of Facebook, Twitter and Facebook. New York: Routledge.
Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. (2014, July 23). Retrieved October 1, 2014, from Statistic Canada: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3302
