Social Networking Sites and Crime: Is Facebook more than just a Place to Procrastinate?

Abstract

This paper analyses the most popular social networking website (SNS)2—Facebook—and its engagement with crime. Through media analysis of several Australian and international newspapers and using case studies, the paper investigates the context in which Facebook was recently linked to issues around crime prevention and crime repression. This paper hopes to prompt the debate around a potential role of SNSs in addressing crime, and their impending impact on policy changes. Finally, the paper emphasises the need for such an engagement within a broader context of critical criminology.