Nowadays, the internet is taken for granted. It’s a basic human need. People have to have access to the internet for a variety of reasons. But when you really think about it, the internet truly is an amazing advancement in human history, and it’s a true privilege to be living in this time. The internet connects the world and it gives us the ability to learn amazing facts and see incredible things.
However, this gift that is the internet also has an unfortunate side. Because of the connections created by the internet and the sheer necessity of the internet, crime on the internet has exploded in recent years. People who are knowledgeable with coding and programming could use their skill for nefarious purposes — and it has been shown that, if given the chance and under the right circumstances, they will.
But it’s really important to realize that many laws pertaining to crime haven’t caught up with the times. The internet is still a massive gray area that people can get caught up in without even knowing it. Good people who aren’t aware they are doing something illegal could be convicted of serious internet crimes, thus changing their lives forever.
This isn’t to say that everyone is blameless; but there are cases where people are accused of internet crimes, and they truly weren’t intending to commit a crime. There are also cases where people commit these crimes and they face excessive punishment for it. In either case, the accused individual needs legal counsel to help them uphold their case and protect their rights.
Source: WLOX, “Internet crime expert warns Bay students, parents about dangers in digital world,” Trang Pham-Bui, Oct. 30, 2014
