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Scientific article
English

Broadband Internet and Crime

Contributors

Masiero, Ilaria

Published in

Review of law & economics, p. 28

First online date

2023-11-21

Abstract

This paper empirically investigates the impact of broadband diffusion on crime. I employ state-level data on high-speed Internet penetration and criminal activity in the United States from 2000 to 2012. To tackle the endogeneity of broadband diffusion, I rely on a set of technologically motivated instrumental variables. The outcomes show that the impact of high-speed Internet diffusion on crime is negative and it is not significant for more severe offenses. Concerning the underlying mechanism, I find support for the hypothesis that the broadband-driven crime reduction occurs through a voluntary incapacitation effect, as people change their leisure time allocation by spending more time at home and off the streets. This in turn reduces the availability of criminal opportunities – and crime levels. Finally, my results suggest that the voluntary incapacitation effect concerns both sides of criminal interactions.

Keywords

  • Broadband Internet
  • Crime
  • Voluntary incapacitation
  • Instrumental variables

UNIGE affiliation entities

Not a UNIGE publication

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

MASIERO, Ilaria. Broadband Internet and Crime. In: Review of law & economics, 2023, p. 28. doi: 10.1515/rle-2022-0055

Main files (1)

Article (Submitted version)

Identifiers

Additional URL for this publication

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/rle-2022-0055/html

Journal ISSN

1555-5879
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Technical informations

Creation

21/11/2023 10:26:41

First validation

23/11/2023 07:54:21

Update

13/10/2025 14:12:30

Status update

23/11/2023 07:54:21

Last indexation

20/08/2026 08:36:21
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