The right to privacy and cybercrime. Social and economic effects on Ecuadorian victims / p. 41-55

Abstract

Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to confinement and social isolation, the violation of the right to privacy has increased through cybercrimes committed in Ecuador. This research describes the right to privacy and cybercrime, as well as their social and economic effects on Ecuadorian victims. The present study has a quantitative approach of non-experimental design, being its descriptive-analytical and longitudinal level, since a study of the evolution and behavior of cyber crimes from 2017 to 2021 is carried out, with a special emphasis on the year 2020. On the other hand, the investigation techniques used were documentary, based on the theory of the authors cited in relation to the violation of the right to privacy through cybercrimes, as well as the statistical analysis of computer crimes committed in Ecuador, provided by the Integrated System of Fiscal Actions. The results show which cybercrimes were committed in Ecuador that violated people's right to privacy during the pandemic; it was concluded that, of the computer crimes mentioned in the Integral Organic Criminal Code, the most frequent were the violation of privacy and fraud. On the other hand, among the cybercrimes committed in Ecuador that violated people's right to privacy before and during the pandemic, there are identity theft; the falsification and use of false documents; fraudulent appropriation by electronic means; and non-consensual access to a computer system; which negatively affected the property of the victims.