Historically speaking, how have advances in technology affected society and criminal activity? What new kinds of crimes have technological advances made possible? Distinguish between new types of crimes produced by advancing technology and new ways of

Question

committing “old crimes” that have been facilitated by emerging technologies.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Advances in technology can ignite social changes. These advances affect how people interact, communicate, learn, and profit. Such advances are likely to continue, and society will continue to evolve because of the changes. High-technology crimes focus on offenses that use advanced and emerging technologies. Biocrime, cybercrime, and bioterrorism are just a few examples of the new kinds of crimes created because of technological advances. Many high-tech crimes are simply “old wine in new bottles.” Historically, criminals of all types have shown remarkable resourcefulness in adapting technological advances to their criminal pursuits. The surge of high-quality counterfeiting wrought by the advent of the color laser printer is a typical example. Similarly, theft, fraud, intimidation, and vandalism are age-old crime problems. Advances in technology have just provided new opportunities to use computers and other types of technology to commit these crimes.