Digital Crimes
Someone creates a fake Instagram account to impersonate another person and asks for money. What crime is this?
Impersonation / identity-related cyber fraud
Why can police not arrest every cybercrime suspect immediately?
Lack of evidence
Anonymous offenders
Jurisdiction issues
Limited resources
Is a screenshot always reliable evidence? Why or why not?
No, it can be edited, lacks metadata (information about the original image), authenticity must be proven
Why may a digital crime case collapse in court?
Weak evidence, jurisdiction issues, procedural errors, delays
What is Section 3A of the Serious Crime Act 2015 about?
making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply an article („hacker tools‟) for use in S1 or S3
Downloading movies illegally for personal use. What type of crime may this be?
It is a copyright violation.
It may be illegal even if no money is earned.
What does the Police need to access a suspect’s private messages without permission?
A legal authorisation e.g. warrant/court order.
police are allowed to take & keep a hold of property that may be relevant to an investigation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
The police need to believe that the phone contains information relevant to an investigation. If you’re a suspect then it’s a reasonable assumption for the police to make.
What does “chain of custody” mean?
A record of who handled the evidence from crime scene to court room.
Shows evidence was not tampered with.
What problem arises when the crime happens online across countries?
Jurisdiction problem
Which country’s law applies
According to McKay's (2026) findings, what are some of the efficiencies as well as technological issued of digital tools implemented in criminal justice proceedings?
May speed up criminal proceedings, vulnerable witnesses can be more involved, fewer no-shows, saving costs (travel & accommodations).
tech failures can cause delays and heighten witness anxiety, links may be faulty or close before statement has finished, limited access to technologies.
Overall, may cut costs but exhausting due to e.g. excessive screen time & tech error.
What can Digital Criminology be described or defined as? E.g. Smith et al. (2017:263, in McKay, 2026:26).
"A criminology that concerns itself conceptually, methodologically and empirically with the task of understanding how digital devices / data are meditating experiences, impressions and process."
What may be some of the dangers of giving police unlimited digital surveillance powers?
Violation of privacy.
Abuse of power.
Threat to civil liberties.
Is digital evidence harder to handle than physical evidence? Why or why not?
Most likely yes:
Easy to alter or delete.
Requires technical verification
Problems of authenticity
A crime happened online: the victim is in one country & the server (suspect) in another.
What issue would occur?
Jurisdiction and enforcement authority
What is the aim of the 'Ministry of Justice AI and Data Science Ethics Framework'?
Aligned with ethical principles and societal values. It provides a robust foundation for the responsible use of AI and data science, promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability in all our projects.
The main aim of this project was to co-produce an ethical framework and toolkit that can help stakeholders, developers, policy-makers, and decision-makers understand what is required to enable responsible research and innovation for the use of AI and data science within the criminal justice system.
Why is cyberbullying considered a serious crime for young people?
Causes psychological harm.
Can lead to anxiety, depression, or self-harm.
Power imbalance and repeated harassment.
According to McKay's (2026) findings, what may the benefits and challenges of pre-recorded police interviews be?
capture experience / evidence, support recalling of events, minimises that victims' have to repeat giving evidence.
witness difficult to engage with, police interviewer less experienced (blurry images, bad camera placement, too dark of surroundings), technical issues.
What may need to be proven to make digital evidence admissible (permitted) in court?
Authenticity, integrity, chain of custody, relevance
According to McKay's (2026) findings, what are the challenges of Victim Conferencing?
As there are no physical or emotional proximity, harder to connect.
Person may cry and that is perceived later than in a f-2-f meeting.
More difficult to build rapport.
Why might harsh punishment fail to reduce digital crime?
Low detection rates, anonymity, lack of deterrence, structural causes
A person leaks edited private images to shame someone online. Which specific harm makes this criminal rather than just unethical?
Violation of privacy, sexual exploitation, non-consensual image sharing
Name ONE of the 13 issues from the NPPC’s Policing Problem Book.
1. Improving collection and analysis of digital evidence
2. Enhancing public communication with strategic digital transformation
3. Enabling secure, efficient, and standardised data sharing
4. Monitoring community-based offenders (e.g. high-risk individuals)
5. Tackling online sexual offences (e.g. child exploitation)
6. Building public trust through transparency
7. Responsible deployment of surveillance technologies
8. Designing out crime opportunities from emerging tech
9. Strengthening cybercrime investigation and prevention
10. Developing a digitally empowered, data- literate workforce
11. Protecting the policing workforce while maintaining service delivery
12. Updating mobility capabilities for future-ready operations
13. Embedding innovation and foresight into policing culture
According to McKay's (2026) findings, what are aspects of Digital Exclusion? Name at least 2.
could be alienating experience for people who are less familiar with tech.
Not being able to afford tech or the internet needed for these procedure. Sometimes court may deem a mobile phone as not suitable and Police could offer room for access but a distrust of the police may hinder this (Police Trauma).
All digital crime cases in the UK are decided by a jury. TRUE or FALSE?
False: They also can be tried in Magistrates' Court without a jury.
Depends on the seriousness of a crime.
Name 3 of the 'Enabling Pillars' from the National Policing Digital Strategy 2025 - 2030.
1. Risk & Security
2. Data & Analytics
3. Modernised Core Data & Tech
4. Talent in Data & Tech
5. Strategic Alignment
6. Open Digital Marketplace
7. Connected Technology