Computer Science Assignment: Laws Governing The Internet (Essay Sample)

Laws Governing the Internet
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Since the beginning of the plastic age, man has invented numerous technologies, which have seen the world grow to become a more sophisticated place. These inventions have arisen to curb several difficulties that man has experienced over time. However, some innovations have been devised to ease the energy with which processes are conducted, rather than address existing problems. With the invention of computers, came the necessity to communicate through the internet. Upon its invention, the process of communication, transfer of money, education, intercultural borrowing, entertainment and security among others have witnessed improvement and reinforcement. Although the use of the internet has attracted criminal activities, its positive significance cannot be overlooked. Upon investigation of the use of internet, inventors designed laws to prevent against misuses of this pertinent service. To comprehend on the importance of these laws, the crimes that surmount from abuse of the internet ought to be elucidated.
Computer crime is a new and growing area where individuals and firms can be victimized. Computer-based crimes span a wide range of activities, including child pornography, internet stalking and cyber bullying, hacking, cyber terrorism, fraud and internet theft among others. With all these crimes, the imposition of laws becomes paramount, so as to safeguard users and unsuspecting individuals. Offenders in this category are perhaps the most diverse of any crime category, spanning all nationalities, all ages and all socioeconomic groups. However, with the possible exception of vandalism, the internet has not created new categories of crime; rather, it has created opportunities for criminals to exploit technologies for their benefit.
As listed, the computer crimes provide new alleys for handlers to participate in acts that are against morals, let alone legalities. Since the utilization of the internet does not limit ages from usage, it is expected for children and teenagers to be overindulged. As it turns out, there is more to the curiosity for discovery that meets them. Increase in the incidences of child pornography tops the list of the ills that have emerged from internet utilization. Until recently, child pornography incidences were minimal, and not recurring. Isolated incidences would be witnessed until the 90’s. However, this came to change with technological increase in the late period of the same century. Indeed, it might be argued that the problem of child pornography has leapt from the situation of general ignorance and inattention to one of massive media and political attention. There are almost daily news reports of arrests of individuals either in ownership of, distributing or creating child pornography. The matter of child pornography undermines social responsibility and has attracted enormous resources to fight it. Yet relatively, little is known about it and emerges to be an area that has attracted little systematic research effort. The concern continues to become a factor in erosion of cultures and societal dignity. This triggers a necessity to formulate and enforce laws that curb the anomaly that threatens to distort the morality of the populace.
Another crime that has taken centre-stage is hacking. By description, this is the illegitimate access of systems that are not one’s, to gain directly from information obtained, or maliciously destroy the same to alter the outcome. Hackers are well versed with the internet and often utilize programs that have a harmful effect on installed programs. The internet joins a group of computers, hence making it possible for these handlers to access information that is not theirs. In a different capacity, hacking can bring devastating effects that are capable of causing international standoff (Svantesson, 2007). If a hacker accesses a website that contains delicate information that pertains to security, he could use the information that is not in interest of the country. In the worst scenario, a war could be initiated by this malice. This begs for countries to enforce the internet rights that would regulate the occurrence of similar instances.
Additionally, hacking can be used in an industrial capacity, referred to as industrial espionage. In this case, potential competitors to a firm access information that belongs to other firms without their consent. This information is used for purposes that are illegal. In extreme cases, individuals who conduct this industrial espionage expose secrets of firms to incapacitate them economically, or to worry their clientele, hence wiping out competition (Chambliss, 2011). These crimes carry an enormous sentence if subjects are apprehended. The purpose of this is to discourage the ever growing unfair competition while utilizing the internet.
Since the incorporation of internet into systems of learning, much has been witnessed. Although the internet has brought numerous merits in this field, the ills committed using the same utility is of equal magnitude. Most recently, the laws in most countries have been modified to include internet copyright laws. Much of learning materials are found online these days. Although these have boosted the levels of intellect in students, several opt to misuse them. By default, these materials posted by other professionals are supposed to be treated as personal. Any event of using their ideas without their consent or crediting them is called plagiarism. This misconduct is widely spread, with students opting to paste their work, which surmounts to theft. Such crimes have to be made legally punishable, in order to discourage their spread. Most countries such as the U.S.A have imposed intellectual property liberties. In the event that an artist posts literary works, software, music or videos, these laws ensure that he acquires copyrights and patents (Gaines & Miller, 2012). These are essential in ensuring that they are remunerated for their originality and that their industriousness is not exploited by opportunists. This is done in conjunction with ISPs, which are in charge of upload and download costs.
In the recent past, the global increment in cases of terrorism has increased by a high magnitude. This has been facilitated by the occurrence of internet services that may promote these acts. Cyber terrorism is cultivated under the environment that comprises the internet. Terrorist acts are perpetrated through the internet, having connected the computers and other equipment that have been specifically designed to bring harm to countries and the populace. Furthermore, it is not difficult to find agendas that are terrorist-oriented being fired by these criminals. Case examples involve incidences where terrorists hijack planes and manipulate the control systems through the internet before crashing them. Evidently, internet technology has brought negative effects in this capacity. Mostly, these terrorists accomplish their missions with assistance from people who can access the internet; mostly those responsible in the runn9ing of the systems. This has caused the government to put exceptional individuals with training to run these systems. Apart from this, they may use their websites to fuel the acts of terrorism. Hence, it is necessary for states to design regulations that hinder the misuse of the internet (Chambliss, 2011).
The United States records most of the cyber crimes that occur around the globe every year. In the year 2000 alone, a report by the FBI showed that 23 percent of the reported cyber crimes that were reported around the world originated from the United States. Over two thousand cases that were recorded arose from sexual exploitation and cyber fraud. In the UK and Canada, the statistics showed a high occurrence in suburbs, as compared to the reserves. Interestingly, the report indicates a decrease in the rate of internet crime with decreased economic growth. Most third world countries experience low rates of internet crime, but when they happen, they are severe because no measures have been emplaced in advance (Quinto, 2011). An example is seen from an incident that occurred in 2007, where a United States national was nabbed after designing a program that allowed electronic withdrawal of cash. Since their laws did not cater for such a crime, he was ferried to the U.S.A, where he was prosecuted (Svantesson, 2007). This scenario manifests the urgency with which countries are supposed to address internet legislation, and draft laws that are bound to assist minimize these tribulations.
Internet fraud involves the deceitful acquisition of personal information through the internet by breaching client agreement. These cases result in massive losses that emanate from clients losing crucial information or documents, which they thought were secure. Incidentally, most of the individuals who are defrauded via the internet rarely notice the occurrence until it is critical. The thieves who are involved in these actions are also responsible for scams that leave individual cheated. Individuals need not be necessarily gullible for such ills to befall them. This is proven by the fact that last year, the National White Collar Crime Center together with Crime Complaint Center recorded 195,000 of these cases. This expresses the importance of the laid out rules on internet use especially in the United States (Burgess & Roberts, 2010).
Another reason that demonstrates further on the importance of the set up regulations on the utilization of the internet includes felonies such as online assault. Online assault involves violence perpetrated via the internet, such as threats or inappropriate sexual advances that result in an emotional response on the part of the victim. The types of online assault are cyberbullying and cyberstalking. Mostly, cyberbullying is a scheme that is used by minors to ...