Associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power Research Paper

Associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power and privilege, diversity and homogeneity - Research Paper Example Police officers have therefore also turned to digital technologies to obtain information and evidence against criminals. As a result, contemporary media has led to enhancement of security details especially in the criminal investigations departments all over the world. The study provides a critical scrutiny of the role of contemporary digital media in criminal investigations. Research carried out by various scholars has proven that digital technology is the major source of evidence whenever detectives are carrying out investigations. The paper further discusses how digital media is associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power, diversity, digital evidence, its privileges, demerits and misconceptions. In addition, it gives an in-depth discussion of the various issues that affect digital media as a source of criminal evidence. Consequently, the study concludes that contemporary digital media is authoritative in combating various criminal activities through enhancement of criminal investigation services and expertise. Digital evidence refers to any information or data considered to be of value in a criminal investigation. The evidence is stored on, transmitted and received through electronic devices. Retrieval of information takes place when the gadgets remains seized, examined and analyzed. Digital evidence acquired from digital media is easily damaged or altered. It is latent and time sensitive (Nelson, Phillips & Steuart, 2015). The information also quickly crosses jurisdictional borders. The evidence thus requires skilled personnel to decode the information. Digital media serves as the source of the digital evidence. The term digital is used because information is stored electronically in the device and has to be broken down into digits during decoding. The digits are in form of binary units of ones and zero. Special programs and software are able to decode the