Dynamics hindering efficiency of social media intelligence in countering criminality in Kenya
Keywords:
social media intelligence, traditional collection methods, criminality, organised crimes, terrorism, government security agencies, social media platforms, bureaucracies, virtual realmsAbstract
Social media sites provide a haven for criminals. This threatens national security, hence the need for effective counter strategies. Despite the criminals' shifting to social media platforms, government security agencies remain slow in adopting emerging technologies and rely more on traditional intelligence collection methods, which fall short of capturing what occurs in the virtual world. The foregoing informed this research study on the dynamics hindering the efficiency of social media intelligence in countering criminality in Kenya. The objective was to determine the challenges that affect the efficiency of social media intelligence in countering online crimes in Kenya. The research applied technology acceptance theory to expound on the utilisation of social media platforms by criminals and subsequent challenges of counter-measures by government security agencies. The study applied a descriptive research design targeting government security agencies dealing with online countering of organised crimes and terrorism. The study established that existing challenges include criminal use of fake identities, secure applications, inadequate technical support and skills, weak legal frameworks, existing social media corporation bureaucracies, identification problems in virtual realms and technological adoption challenges. In conclusion, social media threats are cross-cutting and the emergence of many social media applications requires government security agencies to utilise all sources of information to mitigate strategic surprises. As a result, the research recommends enhancing the capabilities and capacity building of online investigation officers; investing more in research and innovation; enhancing information sharing and collaboration among key stakeholders; and formulating stringent measures.
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