Social Media and Organized Crime
The success of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter has transformed the complexity of social ties among people. These interconnected social ties are generally regarded as positive advancements; technological progress has facilitated distant travel, global communication, and digital interaction. However, social media has also been exploited by the Mafia to broaden their influence in the world. “Social Networks: the showcase of organised crime” introduces the exhibition of criminal activities on the Internet. This new generation of criminals uploads selfies flaunting their shotguns and semi-automatic weapons to demonstrate their power. What’s most terrifying is how drug lords use social media to recruit both members and victims, similar to how students are recruited by prestigious companies. These illicit activities have evolved to emulate the polished process of career searches. Fortunately, these exploitations have forced the government to retaliate and attempt to thwart future cyberattacks. As a result, the accessibility of social networks today has moved the war against organized crime to cyberspace, which could be catastrophic if we do not establish a new approach to win the war.
The cultural revolution introduced by the advent of the Internet has unified the world under single digital networks. Consequently, the government should proactively monitor social media and counteract organized crime. Perpetuating these activities will only allow cyberattacks to mutate and become more unpredictable. There should be effective methods of tracing a gang member’s Twitter account back to his supervisor. As a result, the source of all activities could be located and terminated. However, the sophisticated management of certain crimes reveals an alarming reason for why these criminals have been so elusive. Organized criminal groups have not only been using the Internet, but also breaching security holes. In other words, new recruits likely consist of professional hackers. Though illegal, the drug trafficking is the most profitable career today and it is quite attractive to qualified individuals. Therefore, there is need for greater regulations on cyberspace, so people can enjoy the freedom initially introduced by social media.
http://flarenetwork.org/report/analyses/article/social_networks_the_showcase_of_organised_crime.htm