Difference between revisions of "Virtual Crimes and Punishments"
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Revision as of 01:43, 11 September 2011
With the emergence of virtual environments there has come the emergence of virtual crimes. These virtual crimes can vary from identity theft through computer interfaces to harassment through email. Likewise, the punishment options for these crimes can vary substantially. In addition, the authorities that punish the "criminals" is not the same across virtual communities.
Contents
Definitions
To simplify virtual crimes, it can be said that any "action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state" in a Virtual Environment is a virtual crime. However, because of the diversity of virtual environments there is much subjectivity around what qualifies as a virtual crime. Moreover, there has been a large discourse around universal or national virtual crimes. See Policy Vacuums for further readings on this discourse.
A virtual punishment is any penalty inflicted for a virtual crime. However, a virtual punishment is not limited to the virtual world. A crime in the virtual world can have penalties in the real world.
Debatable Virtual Crimes
Forms of Virtual Punishments
Cases of Real World Punishment for Virtual Crimes
- In 2008, two teenagers in the Netherlands were given 160 and 200 community service hours for virtually assaulting and stealing material goods in the popular virtual environment, Runescape. [1]
- A first in the country, a man in Great Britain was arrested for hacking into several Runescape accounts and stealing characters and virtual materials. [2]
- In February 2005, a Chinese man selling online game accounts was sentenced to a year in prison and a 5,000 yuan fine for embezzlement of an account he sold to a customer. [3] The use of real currency in exchange for virtual materials have since been banned in China.
Scholars in Virtual Crimes and Punishments
- Mia Consalvo specifically for Online Cheating
- Julian Dibbell specifically for Virtual Rape
