Social Safety: Solving Crimes and the Rise of Digital Vigilantes - Report Example

SOCIAL SAFETY: SOLVING CRIMES AND THE RISE OF DIGITAL VIGILANTES NAME INSTITUTION Topic Overview and Explanation Social media is one of the technological developments in the digital era enabling individuals to interact with each other socially. Technology plays a critical role in affecting activities and operations within the society. The advancements in mobile technologies as well as applications continue to have massive influences in relation to criminal activities and increase in the digital vigilantes. This implies that social media has been a crucial platform in solving criminal activities as well as enhancing digital policing of the society. In spite of this approach, there are vital issues with reference to the use of social media platforms. Most of these issues relate to privacy and autonomy as well as security of the users. Some of the techniques, platforms, and applications in solving, curbing, and enhancing digital vigilantes include Twitter, FaceWatch, and Facebook. These platforms provide an opportunity for the law enforcers to obtain valuable information in relation to the ongoing cases in the relevant law courts. In spite of the effectiveness and efficiency of such platforms in generation of valuable information, there are ethical issues emanating from technological advancements. Some of these ethical considerations include security, safety, confidentiality, intellectual property, and freedom of speech. These systems are crucial in the identification of the criminal hence massive advancements in solving crimes within the society. In addition, law and order agencies utilize third-party website applications to curb crimes. Social media platforms have also been beneficial in locating victims as well as their information under the influence of substantive software, malware, and phishing passwords. In this research, the focus will be on the influence of social medial in enhancing the societal security with reference to criminal activities and vigilantes. Context and Background In most cases, social media has become one of the common mechanisms in unveiling criminal information to the public in the digital era. On 4th January 2014, Michael Pearson (CNN) ran an article illustrating the role of social media in the context of criminal activities. In this article entitled Social media casts spotlight on Ohio rape case, social media is vital in aiding the role of the police agencies as well as criminalization of the victims. The videos, tweets, and picture in relation to the rape case are unnerving. Currently, Ohio state authorities are investigating the alleged rape case involving two young men. Social media has been essential in escalating the issues by making the rape case into a joke. Some of the videos made on the issue are criminalizing the little girl (Pearson, 2013). For instance, other boys are claiming that the girl had to be dead since she failed to flinch in the course of the scary encounter or violation. In addition, some even claim that there is uncertainty in the issue claiming that the girl might have wanted the intercourse rather than being a rape case. The authority had the opportunity to obtain relevant pictures and images as well as videos that would be vital in solving the crime. The rape case has divided Steubenville, Ohio in accordance with the opinions on the social media platforms. According to another story by Heather Kelly (CNN), police agencies continue to embrace social media as effective crime-fighting tool. Since internet has been vital in the digital era, individuals leave small clues in relation to their lives on the internet such as fingerprints. Social media platform, Facebook was essential in helping the police agencies to apprehend Melvin Colon for murder charges as well as weapons and narcotics-related crimes. Privacy is one of the major issues in social media technology (Kelly, 2012). In this case, Colon’s Facebook friend offered police officers private information concerning Melvin. This is an illustration of the loss of privacy to the police agency. The approach illustrate that the police officers utilize social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to apprehend criminals as well as monitor the movements of such individuals on the internet. According to Mark Marshall, Chief of Police, Smithfield Police Department, social media continues to be an essential component in various societies across the globe. This is evident in the uprisings in the Middle East and natural disasters in Japan and Haiti. Social media platforms have been the common places for the images, videos, and links in relation to major activities across the globe (Marshall, 2011). In the recent decade, social media has been a valuable tool for the government agencies such as law enforcement bodies. This is an illustration of the community policing or collaboration towards enhancing the safety of the society. New communication tools and techniques provide police agencies with the perfect opportunities to improve community policing to a new level. Law enforcement authorities have the perfect opportunity to humanize their operations, disseminate information, and interact with the community members over the internet. This is evident in the generation or creation of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) center for social media. The main objective of this website is to utilize social media platforms in preventing and solving criminal activities. Law enforcement agencies have utilized various mechanisms to involve the society in the criminal cases pertaining to the security of the communities. For instance, development of connected to the case mechanism uses Facebook to facilitate solving of the crowd-sourced crimes (Rigg, 2012). The website is vital in enabling community members to assist law enforcement agencies to solve active investigations. The officers utilize valuable data to tailor or trace relevant criminals within the society (Badger, 2012). The cutting edge in the crowd-sourced crime fighting has negative and positive concerning social media platforms. The rape case in Ohio is the perfect illustration on how technology could ridicule a serious criminal activity. In this context, individuals might use valuable information from FaceWatch to make jokes by resembling the image to other community members. From this analysis, it is appropriate to note that the social media platforms and technologies have positive and negative (opportunities and issues) in relation to curbing, preventing, and solving criminal activities within the society. Issues and Opportunities Social media is an effective tool in the elimination and prevention of crime within the society. The technique has benefits and costs (opportunities and issues) in enhancing the safety of the community and citizens across the globe. One of the opportunities in relation to utilization of social media platform is the ability of law enforcement agency to liaise with the community members to improve the security of the society. Social media is ideal in enhancing community policing through sharing of information across the internet. In addition, police agencies have the perfect opportunity to track criminals through their vital information over the internet. In the rape case in Ohio, law enforcement agencies utilized social media to gather substantive information and evidence in relation to the ongoing investigation. Social media would also be essential in enhancing security of the nation. This is through integration of the social media platforms, tools, and techniques in the relevant government agency. Integration of the social media as a tool in the curbing and preventing crime should focus on various issues. One of the essential issues is the need to limit criminalization of the victims on the internet. Social media platforms provide opportunities for users to troll victims of criminal activities such as the rape case in Ohio. This approach criminalizes the victims thus generation of psychological issues. In addition, social media in criminology provides opportunity for the violation of autonomy and privacy of the criminals. Criminals might also use these social media platforms such as twitter and Facebook to evade the ongoing investigation or set-up other innocent society members (Sander & Lipka, 2013). This might be dangerous for the harmony and security of the society. Trolls on the internet ridicule the role of social media on enhancing security and safety of the society. For instance, the development of videos to express diverse opinion on the ongoing case would be disastrous towards improvement of the security of the society. Current and Potential Tools There are various social media tools and techniques as well as systems enhancing the ability of the law enforcement agencies in curbing and preventing criminal activities. In addition, these platforms are also valuable in improving digital vigilantes. Some of the effective tools in reducing crimes include Facebook, Twitter, and FaceWatch as social platforms. In addition, YouTube and other relevant websites have been effective in tracking criminal activities. These techniques have been effective in aiding community policing as well as interaction between law enforcement agencies and the community members. In future, law enforcement agencies would use connected to the case website to attract and collect information and evidence with reference to the ongoing cases within the society. The approach would utilize existing social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, law enforcement agencies continue to utilize their websites, malware, and GPRS techniques in curbing criminal activities as well as tracking criminals with the aim of enhancing security and safety of the society. Ethical Consideration Various ethical considerations relate to utilization of social media in curbing criminal activities and enhancing digital vigilantes within the society. One of the essential ethical issues is the essence of privacy (Salman et al, 2013). Social media provides an opportunity through which law enforcement agencies violate privacy and autonomy of the criminals. Criminals are human beings just like other citizen. This indicates that they have rights to privacy and confidentiality in accordance with constitutional amendments. The provision of confidential or personal information of the criminals to the law enforcement agency is a violation of their rights to privacy. This is unacceptable in accordance with ethical or moral standards within the society. Police officers might also obtain personal information from Facebook or Twitter profiles. This is also a violation of confidentiality or privacy rights. Another ethical consideration is the tendency or possibility of criminalization of the victims on the internet. Social media provides the platform for social interaction that might be stressful or stigmatizing to the victims of certain crimes. In addition, criminals might obtain personal information of other society members on the internet. This puts the lives of the individuals in danger of criminal attacks (Lachman, 2013). On the other hand, criminals might also use other individuals’ names to commit crime in disguise. This is unethical or immoral with reference to the code of ethics concerning honesty, privacy, and confidentiality. Internet provides an opportunity for individuals to express their opinions. In spite of this essence, there is certain limitation in relation to speech. Inappropriate speech might lead to blockage from using the social media platform. This indicates that individuals have minimal right with reference to freedom of speech. Finally, intellectual property is also another ethical consideration in using social media platforms in curbing criminal activities (Hodson, 2013). These ethical issues affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the social media platforms in reducing criminal cases in the society. In addition, the platforms provide the perfect opportunity for the law enforcement agencies to prevent criminal activities through digital vigilantes. Current Trends and Future Prospects The current trends relate to the social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace in curbing criminal activities in modern society. In addition, law enforcement agencies also utilize their websites to collect vital information as well as interact with community members on the concept of community policing. Law enforcement agencies collect information from such platform through interacting with the citizens. On the other hand, community members, internet users, provide vital information on the potential and ongoing cases in the criminal activities. These are through generation of images, videos, and valuable information concerning the ongoing or any potential criminal activity within the society. Moreover, policing utilizes information from any connection the criminal might have in the social media technology. In the future, social media technology would have massive roles to play in improving security and safety of the society. This is evident in the looming technological advancements, which will offer adequate opportunity for the law enforcement agencies to track potential crimes (Dunkel, 2012). These digital vigilantes would be ideal towards minimization of the rate at which individuals commit crime within the society. References Badger E. (2012). “How the Cutting Edge in Crowd-sourced Crime Fighting Could do more Harm than Good”. Retrieved from http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2012/07/how-cutting-edge- crowdsourced-crime-fighting-could-do-more-harm-good/2626/ Rigg J. (2012). “Connected to the Case to use Facebook for crowd-sourced crime solving”. Retrieved from http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/01/connected-to-the-case/ Marshall, M. A. (2011), “Social Media Solutions Specific to You”, President’s Message, The Police Chief 78: 6. Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&issue_ id=62011&category_ID=2 Kelly H. (2012), “Police embrace social media as crime-fighting tool”. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/30/tech/social-media/fighting-crime-social- media/index.html Pearson M. (2013), “Social media casts spotlight on Ohio rape case”. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/03/justice/ohio-rape-online-video/index.html Dunkel, D. (2012). Social Media, Mobility and the Future of Security Convergence. Security: Solutions for Enterprise Security Leaders, 49(1), 24-27. Sander, L., & Lipka, S. (2013). Quiet No Longer, Rape Survivors Put Pressure on Colleges. Chronicle Of Higher Education, 59(45), A20-A22. Salman, A., Saad, S., & Ali, M. (2013). Dealing with Ethical Issues among Internet Users: Do We Need Legal Enforcement?. Asian Social Science, 9(8), 3-8. Lachman, V. D. (2013). Social Media: Managing the Ethical Issues. MEDSURG Nursing, 22(5), 326-329. Hodson, H. (2013). Nowhere to Hide. New Scientist, 218(2914), 8-9. Read More