THE LEGALITY OF CYBER SOCIALIZING AND THE BOOMING OF HI-TECH CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) is presently assisting billions of people worldwide by closing gaps and increasing human potential in all aspects of life. Cybercrime has increased in tandem with the advancement of information and communication networks. These illegal activities began in a range of locations. Online crimes pose a significant threat to people's well-being. The number of women who have been victims of online crimes, particularly in cyberspace, has considerably increased. One of the most common activities for modern, independent, educated, and self-sufficient women in the twenty-first century is using social networking websites to communicate with others (SNWs). Long-distance interpersonal communication platforms enable users to meet new “virtual partners” and also “guarantee” to help users reconnect with previous friends and family members. Most of the customers who employ this novel socialisation strategy are women. Women who use SNWs to participate in cyber-society are better able to share their emotional needs, individual issues, culinary talents, and recommendations for child care and health care, including pregnancy and postpartum care, with companions who share their perspectives. These women interact with their virtual friends, who serve as their “emotional comfort zones”, by leaving notes on discussion or community forum walls or on their friends' profiles. They talk about their needs, seek advice, and even talk about “mood changes” with them. Although social networking sites have enhanced user communication, they have also facilitated several cybercrimes against women hence, increased the necessity of laws governing cybercrimes. In this article, we look at how women are victimised on social networking sites and the factors that have contributed to the rise of this form of victimisation.