Social Media Offenses Escalate: Cybercrime Department Successfully Shuts Down 80% of False Accounts

The Grunt Work of Online Recidivism

Let's cut to the chase: the Cybercrime Department within Kuwait's Ministry of Interior's Criminal Security Sector is swamped. Every day, they wage a never-ending battle against online rabble-rousers, with about 120 complaints flooding their inbox—mostly concerning defamation, slander, and spreading misinformation.

The bulk of these complaints roll in via social media posts, tweets, and retweets. But fret not, for these bigwigs aren't just all bark and no bite. Over 80 percent of those pesky fake accounts—home to harmful misinformation and cringe-worthy content—have been taken down. These accounts, it's rumored, are stirred up from outside the comforting sand dunes of Kuwait. Quite a few of the miscreants behind these accounts have already felt the wrath of the law, thanks to documented judicial actions against them (as reported by Al-Rai daily).

On a typical month, you'll find roughly 500 cybercrime incidents show up in court, with approximately half of them settled through good ol' reconciliation. However, it seems the department's biggest concern is the perpetrators behind these deeds. An unsettling number of them are youths and women. Unaware of the dire consequences of their actions, these online wrongdoers thoughtlessly share misleading content, risking hefty fines or prison time.

To combat this mounting menace, the department's technical support squad plays a crucial role in enlightening the public and providing sage advice. This knowledge transfer takes place through text-based communication on WhatsApp and lectures offered in government institutions, especially schools—which might explain those sagging grades.

Of course, the department's jurisdiction isn't limited to trolling takedowns. They also put a stop to other online mischief, like hacking, eavesdropping, immorality, and playing loose with public morals. Local authorities are quick to tackle online fraud, as they maintain a solid working relationship with the Communications and Banking Authority.

Now, if you thought the department's fight against online adversaries was a walk in the desert, think again. With advanced tactics like "Fast Flux" evasion techniques and cloud-based credentials popping up on the scene, the department must stay on the ball to protect Kuwait's online community. The lack of reported cross-border incidents in local news might indicate underreporting, implying a hidden danger lurking in the shadows.

Despite the tough work, the department is giving it their all to clean up the digital streets of Kuwait. But to truly gauge their effectiveness, the world needs transparency. There's a need for detailed reports on resolved defamation and slander cases to determine the departments' impact on maintaining online integrity.

The Cybercrime Department in Kuwait's Ministry of Interior's Criminal Security Sector has been actively highlighting the issue of cybercrime, particularly in regards to defamation, slander, and misinformation spread through social media.
The average number of complaints received by the department each day, mostly from general-news and crime-and-justice sectors, concerning cybercrime mainly originating from social-media platforms.
Despite the high volume of complaints, the department has been successful in taking down over 80 percent of the fake accounts, many of which were found to originate outside of Kuwait.
A concerning trend emerging within the cybercrime cases is the increasing number of youths and women involved in sharing misleading content, risking severe penalties such as hefty fines or prison time.
In an effort to educate the public and combat this growing problem, the department's technical support team provides guidance and advice through various channels, including text-based communication on WhatsApp and lectures at government institutions, especially schools.