The dark side of web: Upsurge in social media killings

Fatima Khan who was labeled as the ‘Snapchat Queen’ was found guilty for killing her boyfriend Khalid Safi

Technology has revolutionised the way we live now, every person regardless of which age group can be found on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

With a click of a button we set foot into a different world, a space which gives us access to information, videos and pictures of our friends, family, celebrities and even strangers. While the web is a source of entertainment and knowledge there is also a dark side to it.

There has been an upsurge in murder rate; one such story is of Fatima Khan - labelled the ‘Snapchat Queen’ - who was found guilty for masterminding her boyfriend Khalid Safi’s murder.

After the attack, she filmed him dying and put it up on her Snapchat account with a warning that this is what would happen to those who mess with her, reported CrimeandInvestigation.

Another horrifying tale is of Charlie Carver and Kala BrownMore whose social media accounts were hacked by their killers.

Twitter admits phone numbers meant for security used for ads

They disappeared in August 2016 leaving behind essential belongings such as their glasses, medication, their car, and even their dog. A post appeared on Carver’s Facebook page stating that the couple had purchased a house and that they were now married and expecting a daughter.

Later Carver’s body was discovered at Todd Kohlepp, sex offender’s house with Brown still alive, trapped in a cage witnessing the murder, reported CrimeandInvestigation.

Rossi Lorathio Adams II, 27, who has been sentenced to 14 years in prison over a plot to obtain a domain name at gunpoint reported BBC Tech.

In the quest to expand followers, Rossi had been struggling for two years to buy the domain Doitforthestate.com but when the owner kept refusing Rossi decided to take matters in his own hands. After acquiring the domain owner’s address on GoDaddy’s registration records, Rossi and his convicted cousin Sherman Hopkins Jr broke into his house.

Social media influencer to serve 14 years for stealing domain name at gunpoint

Hopkins pistol-whipped the victim several times demanding that he transfer the domain to Rossi.

The victim was also shot several times in the chest and leg before he managed to gain control of the gun and called the police.

Videos posted on social media platforms have fueled jealousy and animosity amongst users encouraging such outrageous behaviour.

"There's definitely something about the impact of social media in terms of people being able to go from slightly angry with each other to 'fight' very quickly," told Cressida Dick, Met Commissioner to The Times.

In October 2019, an attacker in Germany used live-streamed his killings on Amazon’s gaming platform Twitch. The attack caused two fatal shootings after failing to make an entry in the synagogue on the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Every little detail about our whereabouts being accessible to everyone has left us vulnerable, however, it is not just the victims that are exposed but also those who are committing these atrocious crimes.

Ray Surette, an International scholar having expertise in the area of media, crime, and justice writes, that social media has led to a new type of ‘performance’ crimes, where those committing crimes post their doings online through text, images, and videos. This leaves them exposed as well and aids investigations by the police who use this information to catch criminals.