Open Access Research Article
A Useful Servant But A Dangerous Master: Technology & Crime (By-Siddharth Anand & Fariya Sharaf)
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A Useful Servant But A Dangerous
Master: Technology & Crime
Authored By-1. Siddharth Anand
2. Fariya Sharaf
Abstract:
India is one of the fastest growing
economies in the world and it is expected to grow at 9.5% in the year 2022[1].
The advancement and evolution of technology is undoubtedly, an important
determinant of economic growth and modern India has had a very strong focus on
the furtherance and expansion of technology, which has now reached the corners
of our nation. A renowned Norwegian Diplomat, Christian Lange said that
technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master[2]
which clearly meant that if we want to use anything, we would best have control
over it and adequate knowledge of what it can be used for. It’s a blessing for
all of us to be a part of this generation, which has witnessed the growth of
internet and technology, but every story has two perspectives, and this paper
aims to highlight both of them, in relation to the Indian Criminal Justice
system.
Technology has improved the
enforcement of laws by means of data mapping, smartphone tracking and a lot of
other processes, which has made the jobs of law enforcement professionals much
easier and has provided them with a tool, which can be a shield to protect the
society. But we cannot deny the fact that the evolution of technology has
proven to have detrimental and disastrous consequences and has been a
facilitator in the commission of different forms of crime.
This paper aims to examine and
highlight the role of technology in the imposition and implementation of laws.
Technology being used by criminals for their gain is also brought into light through
our research paper. We have deeply discussed our points as to why technology
can be baleful, when exploited by criminals.
KEYWORDS:
Technology, Evolution of Technology,
Crimes, Cybercrimes, Law enforcement
Evolution Of Technology And
Internet In India:
It’s a matter of pride for all of us
to acknowledge that India ranks third among the most attractive investment
destinations for technology transactions across the globe and there has been a
very strong focus on science and technology, as these are the basic facets that
contribute largely to the economic growth of any country. Computers are now a
part of our lives and with the growth of internet in a developing nation like
ours, chances of misuse of these facilities is at its peak. There are various factors
that have led to this rapid growth of technology in India. Liberalization
policies like reducing trade barriers and eliminating import duties on
technology products have turned out to be really instrumental and impactful in
the entire advancement journey of IT.
Till the year 1970, we had no guiding
policy or framework for computer / software technology, though the government
knew that IT can make their vision of making India, the greatest economy, a
reality. Bhabha committee in 963 highlighted the need for the development of
electronics and computers for the growth of India and based on their
recommendations, the Government of India established DoE, that is, Department
of Electronics in 1970, and there was no looking back since then. In 1972, the
government allowed hardware import and software export, which helped Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS) in getting global recognition. The growth of market
size of India’s IT industry is illustrated in the graph below.[3]
The next turning point in this
evolution came in the year 1986 when the government brought a liberalization
policy for the IT industry, which de-licensed hardware import and supported
duty-free export, which helped the industry in earning large amount of force
exchange. In the last ten years, India has emerged as a tech hub for a lot of
global software companies and India
has become the world’s largest
sourcing destination for this industry.
Advancement Related To The Web
With over 560 million active internet
users, India is the second largest online market in the world, and the only
country ahead of us is China. By the year 2023, it is estimated that over 650
million internet users will be active in India, which might be the largest base
of internet users at that point of time. There has been a consistent increase
in the internet penetration rate, and it is now close to approximately 50%.
This figure might not look appealing at the first glance, but this rate was
mere 4% in 2007. If we talk about Indian states, Maharashtra has the highest
internet penetration, followed by Goa and Kerala, while Bihar has the lowest.
So the growth can be perceived very clearly from this data and from the change
in our lifestyle, being so close to people virtually, yet too far to know them
in reality. The table that is attached below shows an overview of internet
subscriber statistics in India as of 30 June 2021[4].
The graph attached below depicts the
growth of Internet in India and has analyzed the growth pattern to calculate
the number of active internet users that we might have by the year 2040[5].
The dynamic growth of internet in our country can be traced from the fact that
people from both rural as well as the urban parts of the country is on the web
now.
Technological advancement and the
evolution of internet has helped massively in solving crimes and has been a
very effective tool for law enforcement professionals. Weather and climate
scientists have been using the concept of data mapping, and now in the 21st
century, criminal justice professionals are also using this effective mechanism
of mapping, to have a crystal clear geographical look at the types of crime and
the volume of crime that happens in a particular area. This has also helped the
police department in formulating better strategies to reduce crime.
Cell phones have made our lives so
easy and now, the access to internet is at our fingertips. Apart from being a
very basic element of our lives, smartphones can be used to fight crimes.
Cellphones allow us to contact the police right from the crime scene and this
certainly has proved to be a powerful crime-fighting tool. Smartphones and
cellphones have become a regular part of criminal investigation and is a very
essential part of digital forensics, which is a branch of science encompassing
the recovery and investigation of material found in digital and electronic
devices, which includes computers, cell phones and digital cameras.
Tracking subjects and criminals via
their mobile devices has been utilized for many years now and with the
advancement of technology, this method of tracking criminals has become a very
crucial part of criminal investigations. Every time a person uses a cell phone,
a signal is sent out that highlights where the user of that cell is, which is
the most vital information to track the location of the criminal. A mission
mode project, crime and criminal tracking network & systems (CCTNS) has
been adopted to create a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the
creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT based
tracking of criminals.
Most of the smartphones that we get
to see in the market is equipped with good cameras, which
ensures that bystanders can take
photos and videos of criminals, which would help in their identification at a
later stage in the investigation.
The mental peace of the citizens of
any country can be equated with the overall growth of the society. The
government of different countries encourage the launch of devices and the
inculcation of technology in the lifestyle of their citizens, to prevent them
from being prey to the criminals, who are felonies to any developing nation.
One of these innovations is the use of CCTV cameras. CCTV relies on strategic
placement of cameras in such a way that it turns out to be really effective in
crime prevention, especially in traffic violations, crime against property and
crime against persons.
Closed circuit television or CCTV was
first used in Germany in the year 1942 to observe the launch of V-2 rockets[6].
Earlier, there was no way of storing the footages recorded in the CCTV but the
introduction of magnetic tapes to record videos enabled CCTV systems to record
and store videos.
CCTV cameras are also installed in
front of schools to restrain the kidnappers and criminals from inflicting any
harm to the children studying there. The effectiveness of CCTVs can also be
witnessed in banks, where identification of robbers can clearly be done from
the footages recorded the camera. India’s CCTV market is expected to register a
compound annual growth rate of 22.35% over the forecast period from 2021 to
2026[7],
which would be a game changer.
The table attached below shows the
effectiveness and usefulness of CCTV cameras in crime against property[8].
Law enforcement officers and those in
the legal system are increasingly using IT tools to combat crime. With a
population of over 140 crores, India generates a very big amount of data and
according to IBM, the world generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data a day[9],
which can be used by the police department to recognize criminals and
processing of data for the benefit of the society turns out to be really
fruitful in preventing crimes. The current expansion of the internet of things
(IoT) is facilitating the collection of big data which is a very impactful
approach in evidence-based policing.
Traditional and linear devices used
in the past are incompetent and insufficient today and our police system cannot
remain stuck at the same level and rapid advancement was definitely what was
needed by investigation and enforcement agencies. Dubai introduced its first
robot policeman, RoboCop in 2017, which clearly indicates that smart policing
is going to be the future and in our country India, the SMART policing plan was
introduced by the Prime Minister in 2014 at a conference of DGPs of state and
central police organizations in Guwahati, where the use of various technologies
such as artificial intelligence and sophisticated drones was highlighted.
Blockchain, advanced biometric recognition device and body-worn cameras are
used by law enforcement agencies all across the globe to combat crimes and
societal evils.
Drone technology is a better and
cheaper alternative to helicopters in police investigation, to undertake
activities like search and rescue and surveillance. Drones are also used in
crime scene analysis and it also helps the police forces to get an aerial
perspective of possible bomb threats. It is also used to provide essential aid
when natural calamity strikes and it turns out to be a really great help in
need.
The government has seen AI’s benefits
in a variety of fields, including banking and healthcare. The Andhra Pradesh
Police department has created an application to assist in the tracking of old
criminals and accused, which means that Artificial intelligence is a part of
criminal investigation and law enforcement by the concerned authorities. An AI
enabled app created by the startup Staqu is now used by the Uttar Pradesh to
carry criminal records. The app has a feature called gang recognition tech
which helps police in detecting a suspect and their associates as well. It is
practically impossible for humans to handle huge amount of data and that is
why, AI becomes a really crucial part of police investigation and data storage.
Technology has undoubtedly improved
the law enforcement mechanism in our country and by providing so many ways to
deal with crime, technology has made our society, a safer place to live in. But
we cannot deny the fact that technology in the mainstream has proven to have
detrimental and disastrous consequences and has been a facilitator in the
commission of different forms of crime, which has led to an unprecedented
growth in the crime rate. Information Communication technologies has benefitted
both the police as well as the criminals.
Technology: A Facilitator For Criminals
It is rightly said that technology
makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over
technology[10].
Technology simply means increased power and this power lies in the hands of
each one of us and with that amplified power, the intensity of destruction that
can be caused is also massive. Cybercrime is one example of how IT has changed
crimes and it has allowed individuals to carry out the act of committing crimes
right from their homes, under anonymity. In simpler words, cybercrime can be
defined as any criminal activity while using a computer or any other electronic
device. According to NCRB data, India registered 136 cybercrime cases every day
in 2020 and cybercrimes have increased four times (306 percent) in the past
four years in India[11].
The bar graph attached below shows the increase in the number of cases
registered in India from 2016 to 2020[12].
Cybercrimes can be of various types,
namely[13]:
1. Identity theft: It is a crime in
which an attacker uses deceptive and fraudulent means to obtain personal or
sensitive information about a person and misuses it. When the criminal obtains
those personal data, they use it to steal money, access more private
information and in some serious situations, tax or health insurance fraud can
also be committed by the attacker[14].
Government issued identification cards such as aadhar card and pan cards can be
used to issue sim cards, which could be used in the commission of more serious
crimes. The criminal also has a chance to create phone / internet account and
claim government benefits in the name of the victim.
2. Phishing: Phishing attacks are the
act of sending fraudulent communications and emails that appear to come from a
reputed source, with the objective of attaining sensitive data like credit card
and login informations. It is one of the most dangerous form of security attack
and some of the common features of Phishing emails are:
i.
Too
good to be true, basically lucrative offers and eye-catching statements.
ii.
Sense
of urgency
iii.
Involvement
of a lot of hyperlinks
iv.
Unusual
sender
3. Social Engineering: Attackers use
this method to make a direct emotional connection and bond with the victim,
generally via phone call or email. They can sell your information at a later
point of time after gaining your trust. In simpler words, it is the
psychological manipulation of a person, which forces him to disclose a plethora
of sensitive information to various people, who are potential criminals.
Phishing as discussed above is the most common form of social engineering.
There are a lot of statutes that aim
at preventing the citizens of the country in becoming preys to these predators
under anonymity. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Information technology
Act, 2000 penalizes a variety of cybercrimes but the number of cases that come
up each day related to cybercrimes is increasing day by day, with the
advancement of technology and the increase in the accessibility of the
internet.
Conclusion
The invention of technology and
technological advancement is a boon for our society but as with every invention
comes its bane too, now it is on humans who are the creator of technology that
how they use it , technological advancement can do wonders in our life if used
properly and are even beneficial for the state to implement their policies and
curb the rate of crime and offences with the introduction of CCTV cameras and
other electronic evidence, the step taken by the government of India in
amending the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 in the year 2022 as the Criminal
Procedure (identification )Act 2022 also emphasizes on the use of technology in
pursuance of curbing crime as the new bill focuses on taking impression of
convicts fingerprints to eyeballs and all these information will be stored in
online data and will be retrieved if needed just by a click, the technology has
facilitated not only the lawmakers but the one who violates the law are also at
benefit by deducing new methods of hacking the personal details of individuals
and the increased rate of credit card frauds and banking frauds are all results
of technological advancements, as it is very well said that no matter how good
a law is it, the one who are following and implementing that law reflects the
true essence of that law, so if we as individuals are not ready to mend our
ways and stop the misuse of technology we are at a loss and we are loosing at
every pedestal because wea re wasting our energy in trying to invent ways to
commit crimes from the technological inventions, crime is the deviant behavior
of an individual and technology is the invention of individual so when this
deviant behavior and invention combine it is a very lethal and insidious
combination, so we must try to refrain and prevent this combination, and try to
use the technological advancement in nurturing and improving our lives and
making our country a crime free state and reach the utopian picture of our
country which will be devoid of every crime and ill-evils of the society.
Article Information
A Useful Servant But A Dangerous Master: Technology & Crime (By-Siddharth Anand & Fariya Sharaf)
Authors: Siddharth Anand, Fariya Sharaf
- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Published 2022/07/18
- Volume 2
- Issue 7
About Journal
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
- Abbreviation IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Access Open Access
- License CC 4.0
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