MDST 4871 Special Topics: The Internet and Crime

Instructor Contact

Dean Colby

Email: dean.colby@colorado.edu

About the course

The Internet and crime

This course provides practical knowledge and critical analysis of the uses of the Internet in the service of crime. Students will engage with recent literature and other content including video to understand the complex ways in which uses of the Internet often produce intended criminal activities, but also provide users with powerful arguments against laws that presently prohibit activities that are widely practiced. Interestingly, examination of the ways in which the Internet technologies intersect ostensible crime forces an interrogation of the extraordinary potential of digital communications to provide unparalleled access to information, knowledge, and culture, as well as goods and services. On the other hand, the same technologies can be used in unparalleled ways to restrict access to information, knowledge, and culture, as well as goods and services. The boundary between what is permitted and what is not permitted is continuously shifting as new forms of uses emerge and new technologies emerge. This course is writing-based, requires weekly discussions, and small reaction papers to affirm the students’ engagement in, and comprehension of, the course materials.