Samenvatting

The explosive growth of the Internet has led to countless new possibilities, and it opened the way for societal progress and an extensive globalization and digitization. However, the original ambition of the Internet as a free, open and neutral medium has also led to new possibilities in the field of crime. The current paper illustrates how governments dealt with the development of the Internet and it gives an explanation for why and how unintended side effects have manifested in society. Using the phenomenon of digital child abuse, this paper offers recommendations for an effective government response and for an effective detection of and fight against cybercrime.