When everything from light bulbs to cars, washing machines etc. becomes smart and connects to the internet, an important side effect is that no one will be interested in buying stolen items. With find-my-iPhone-like capabilities, the device will inform the owner of its location as soon as it connects to the internet.
In many cases, the owner has programmed it to be used by specific individuals only or within specific geographic areas.
Smart autonomous cars are trackable every second – that means no more car theft. Future smart-tagging of valuable art will prevent robbery and forgery.
The flip side of digitalization; new types of crime
The other side of the coin is the increased potential of surveillance by private companies as well as national and even foreign governments. Without proper legal frameworks in place, a society’s digitalization can have unexpected adverse consequences that will reduce the pace for reaching a crimeless society.
We will see new types of digital crime such as hackers taking control of autonomous vehicles or your smart home, only releasing it after you have paid a ransom. Even more worrying is the prospect of hackers taking control of your implanted medical devices – when will we see the first cyber-murder?
Digitalization means that most of our lives are in our smartphones, wherefore the black market value of a stolen smartphone will increase. Even if criminals do not get access to the victim’s funds, the value of the personal information on the black market is still significant. The protection of smartphones should be prioritized.
The end of crime
In 2030, digitalization will have brought about a significant reduction in many crimes that plague today’s societies. On top of the traditional digitalization benefits, there will be significant savings from the reduction in crime, e.g. fewer cases at the courts, fewer expenses to lawyers, reduced insurance cost, more efficient public administration without corruption. And the police will be less occupied with traditional crimes. Digitalization will be a most powerful tool for crime-torn countries that aspire to build a more pleasant, peaceful and prosperous society free of many of the types of crime prevalent today.
Original Source: World Economic Forum
