How Technology has Affected on Crime

Explain how technology has affected globalization of crime as it applies to organized crime. Technology has made organized crime much more difficult for law enforcement to stop as it happens across the entire globe and deals with many forms of trade and destruction.  To look at the reasons for this to happen, one needs to see how technology is used in regular society and how those same platforms can be used by organized crime organizations.  For example, countries and companies are able to do trade easily using technological advances, but those same platforms can be used by criminal elements to do trade.

  Unfortunately, the trades that criminal groups are transferring money and goods over the Internet normally deal with guns, people, and drugs.  According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, 90 percent of cocaine comes from Central America and is transported through numerous hubs on its way to the United States. 

To be able to do this, communication lines must be available, distribution locations understood, and possible government interventions or problems.  Using technology makes it much easier for cartels to contact and know about different aspects of drugs.  The same procedure is used for human trafficking and weapons.  With how hard it is to keep up with everything on the Internet and the different policies from country to country, it is that much more difficult for law enforcement to eliminate organized crime or to even take steps against it spreading.  Looking at other nations and how little control nations like Honduras have over the Internet, shows how people can use it for nefarious purposes. Further, even more advanced countries like the United States, have used deregulation of financial institutes and those rules apply to the Internet as well and have opened up many additional problems for law enforcement.

Another problem with technology and organized crime is the availability of people to join in with organized crime and the reasons why they might be joining, which also has to do with technology.  According to Rice University and the Baker Institute, people are joining organized crime due to their own lack of personal financial support.  "Its disruptive effect, causing higher inequality and poverty for many across the globe, led some people into engaging in organized crime and criminal activities, mainly as the result of a lack of opportunities and an extreme unequal income distribution (Gachuz).  So technology causing issues in society has led to individuals needing additional funding and those people are using organized crime or aspects of organized crime to get funding needed to have a regular existence.  So, while technology is making it harder for law enforcement as crime is connected around the world, people are also attracted to organized crime due to not being able to have a successful life otherwise.  When combining the income inequality created by technology and law enforcement having a harder time enforcing international laws due to technological advances, shows how technology has affected globalization and how it applies to organized crime.

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