Cybercrimes and Their Impact on Society and the Role of Law

The world is witnessing significant technological progress, with the Internet becoming an integral part of individuals’ lives. Despite the benefits of technology, new crimes known as cybercrimes have emerged, occurring through the use of electronic devices. Among the types of cybercrimes are cyberextortion, which involves threatening to publish someone’s private photos or information; cyberfraud, which entails deceiving individuals to obtain their money and personal data; account hacking, which is unauthorized access to someone’s account; and cyberdefamation, which involves publishing statements that may harm a person’s reputation.

The spread of these crimes is driven by several factors, including heavy Internet usage, low awareness of cybersecurity, and sharing personal information with others. Their harms include financial losses, theft of personal information, psychological damage, and erosion of trust in electronic transactions.

To protect ourselves, we must avoid opening random links, refrain from sharing personal data with others, be cautious of fake accounts, and report cybercrimes rather than ignoring them.

In my view, cybercrimes have become widespread, so we must exercise caution and, in the event of such crimes, report them to the competent authorities. There should also be stricter penalties for these offenses, by tightening the causes that lead to such penalties and imposing stringent controls, given that punishment is a fundamental and crucial element in the concept and maintenance of law.

Hajar Waleed Muhammad

College of Commercial Studies / Law Major