The online world is important for social interaction and for investigations, including tracking down suspects. Nowadays Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are used extensively for gathering information and pieces of digital evidence.
Uses of Social Media for Investigations:-
Police officers and investigative agencies track down criminals using social media platforms. They collect digital evidence and observe public activities, including selfies with specific landmarks. Social media has pictures or video snippets of any ongoing events. Usually crucial information is posted by suspects or witnesses without them having any idea and end up assisting a case.
If someone has a picture posted or a video where he can be identified, that gives the exact time and the place. That can either strengthen or destroy his defense. Information that is provided by people through open forums goes a long way to assist investigators.
Function of Social Media in Criminal Investigations:-
Social media’s contribution to investigations is sharpening with time. It aids law enforcement:
– Recognize suspects and witnesses
– Reconstruct time frames of events
– Collect reports and feedback from the community
– Monitor threats and activities from criminal organizations.
Crimes from petty theft and assault to sophisticated felonies such as cyberbullying, stalking, and organized crime can be dealt with using social media veritable insight into actions and relationships.
Impact of Social Media Evidence in Court :-
The consequences of social media on criminal investigations extend far beyond the commission of the crime, it also determines the proceedings of the case in court. Social media messages and posts can be used as evidence for and against a case in court.
It is critical that the court ensures the material being presented has not been tampered with in any way. It can be established using screenshots, metadata, and account records. Social media evidence is also liable to challenge by defense teams on the grounds that it’s irrelevant if the evidence was collected without a warrant or if privacy rights are violated.
Use of Social Media in Organizing Crime :-
Social media is used not only by law enforcement agencies, but also by criminals. There are several instances where people have utilized social media sites for planning burglaries, advertising crimes, or even for conscripting individuals to commit crimes. This has made criminal activity among juveniles uncontrollable.
Crimes that can be categorized under social media include:-
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- Cyberbullying
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- Harassment
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- Illicit trade of prohibited items
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- Cyberbullying
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- Harassment
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- Illicit trade of prohibited items
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- Promotion of violence
Social media has brought not only entertainment but also crimes such as stalking, intimidation, and incitement. There is surveillance on the keywords and other patterns that could be associated with online crime to stop such crime at an earlier stage.
How Does Media Affect Criminal Behavior?
You might ask, what is the relationship between crime and media? Well, it is a double-edged sword. While social media can offer tools for public safety it also has the ability to perpetrate social evils. Illegal actions have been conducted by some offenders as they seek notoriety for viral content or other engagements on online platforms.
This highlights the other side of creating online profiles. Attaching crime related adverts of events and online activities should be curbed and restricted to control media-related crime. Creating awareness on the negative implications and consequences of media sponsored crime is vital to controlling crime related to social media.
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