Five illegal uses of the Internet to be aware of
The Internet is a very vast world characterized by its virtual and digital nature, just like the real world, except that it is an electronic world. Just as there is good and evil in our real world, the Internet also has positives and negatives that some may not know. Because the Internet also contains some crimes and violations, a police force or special organizations have been established to monitor them, such as the electronic police, intelligence, and others.
Many violations are regarded as legal infractions that carry heavy fines, particularly in Europe, even though they seem like common practices for many Internet users, particularly those from Arab nations where electronic prosecutions are scarce. So what are these violations that the majority commit without knowing? And why are these actions considered violations and punishable by law? This is what will be learned in this article...
• Download via torrent
Torrent is one of the most popular ways to download files and share them with others, but this technology is often used to share files protected by copyright and intellectual property rights such as games, movies, songs, series, etc. Users of this technology share these files with others without paying a single cent, which is considered illegal, immoral, and harmful to the companies that create these files and sell them for money.
Because video streaming services and viewing movies and series have become low-cost, the rate of torrent use has decreased significantly in recent years. Although sharing unlicensed content via this technology is illegal in all countries of the world, only a very few users of these programs have been arrested in some countries.
• Publishing other people's private data
Most companies in recent years have become more respectful of user data, voluntarily or through force of law, through the permissions that are requested from users before working with them to access their sensitive data, and the same applies to individuals. Many countries in the world prevent individuals from sharing the data of other individuals in public places without their knowledge and criminalize the publication of private photos of individuals in private places. As for public places, you will not need approval to take photos and publish them online; however, it is always better to ask permission before taking photos.
• Recording VoIP calls without consent
Calls between smartphone users are often recorded, and this is very common, but it is not known whether this is completely legal and ethical, and the same is the case when it comes to VoIP calls.
VoIP is an abbreviation for Voice over IP and refers to the transmission of voice using the Internet Protocol. It is an advanced and popular technology among users that allows them to make calls securely. Among the well-known applications that provide this technology are WhatsApp, in addition to Skype, Viber, Telegram, and many other applications, in addition to games that rely on live broadcasting. However, using this technology to record calls and conversations between users without their consent and disrespect for their privacy is illegal, and consent must be obtained before registration in order not to be exposed to legal problems.
• Illegal searches
Most people are not aware that there are actually illegal searches on popular sites like Google that are prohibited from being searched for. Although it is very rare for search engines to report violating users or allow judicial authorities to access their data, they do prevent legal pages and sites from appearing in the results. Among the illegal terms that are prohibited from being searched for in search engines are: child pornography, in addition to hiring and renting criminals; buying weapons and drugs; making weapons or bombs; and other suspicious and illegal words that are always best avoided.
• Dark Web
Using the dark web or Tor technology to access this world does not constitute a violation of the law in itself, but the dark web in general has become associated with many illegal practices and businesses, such as selling weapons, drugs, and illegal software.
The dark web is also considered a dangerous environment in terms of the fact that it can contain many dangerous software viruses, ransomware, tracking programs, data theft, and extortion programs through it. Also, it is actually possible to track and pursue cybercriminals on the dark web in many ways that the authorities can use, and many people have already been arrested on the dark web.
In fact, there are many illegal practices and actions on the Internet, such as blackmail, bullying, racial discrimination, threats, and extortion through posts on various social networking sites and many others. Conversations and posts can be used to investigate these crimes. Therefore, it is always better to use the Internet wisely and carefully and stay away from everything that is suspicious and raises doubts to avoid legal problems. Parents must also monitor their children's activities on the Internet and protect them from any potential danger.