To prevent young people from engaging in cybercrime, the police are investing in Google Ads, among other things, to warn them of the dangers and consequences of Internet crime. Such campaigns have already cost the police tens of thousands of dollars. Technology companies must take social and digital responsibility in the fight against cybercrime.
Using Google's search engine, it is child's play to find information on the Internet about how to carry out a DDoS attack, phishing, identity fraud and other forms of cybercrime. To prevent young people from using this knowledge to create victims, the police have been structurally deploying Google Ads since 2021. In these prevention messages, the police tell them about the dangers of cybercrime, and the consequences that follow.
The cost of these Google Ad campaigns is quite substantial. The ads targeting DDoS attacks have been shown more than 360,000 times since 2021 and clicked more than 27,000 times. Campaign costs amounted to more than 60,000 euros. Prevention campaigns with international police units cost the Dutch police another 35,000 euros.
Apart from the fact that the advertising campaigns cost the police (and thus the Dutch taxpayer) a lot of money, it is at the same time mopping the water up. Google Search is widely used to search for terms related to cybercrime. In doing so, the search engine also displays results that refer to providers of software to carry out DDoS attacks. In doing so, Google makes it too easy for young people to become victims.
Theo van der Plas believes tech companies like Google have a responsibility to protect young people from committing cybercrime. According to him, last year 15 percent of Dutch people were victims of online crime. "The social and financial damage is enormous. The National Police do a lot to prevent both perpetrators and victims of cybercrime. But I think high-tech companies, which have a large social impact and facilitate this form of crime, should also take responsibility," Van der Plas said.
The cybercrime program director states that Google earns a lot from its search engine. He therefore thinks it is logical for the search engine giant to invest in prevention of criminal activities prepared through its search engine. "By alerting visitors to illegal activities and by removing criminal sites. Now the police buy ads from Google to prevent cybercrime, while Google Search also provides information that leads to providers of cybercrime," he said.
Investing in offender prevention is crucial for Dutch society, according to Van der Plas. "Cybercrime has become a widespread threat that not only affects individuals and companies, but can also undermine the stability of entire societies. Technology companies play a central role in our modern society, as their products and services often form the basis of our digital lives. By investing in perpetrator prevention, they can prevent abuse of their platforms and assume their digital responsibilities."
