A Criminal Law Approach to Digital Platform Crimes

The advancement of digital platforms has brought social and economic benefits while it has caused new types of crimes. Crimes such as online fraud, deepfake sex crimes, and cyberbullying contain the characteristics of ‘connection’ and ‘interaction’ on digital platforms. Currently, online transaction fraud is punished just by the general provision of the Criminal Code. Whereas the current law and victim protection measures have been established for deepfake sex crimes, investigative techniques and victim support systems need to be further enhanced. Despite serious violations of human rights, current law lacks adequate provisions for repeated and persistent actions on digital platforms. This highlights the necessity for enacting a particular law, establishing measures to prevent secondary victimization, and reinforcing the responsibility of telecommunication service providers. Therefore, in order to effectively respond to digital platform crimes, it is essential to develop appropriate legal frameworks that reflect the characteristics of each crime, to strengthen institutional systems for victim protection, and to reinforce the responsibility of telecommunication service providers. Furthermore, efforts to establish international cooperation from this perspective must also be pursued.