Microdeviation: Observations on the Significance of Lesser Harms in Shaping the Nature of Cyberspace

This article argues that application of the term “cybercrime” is overly expansive and by this nature exclusive of lesser deviancies, or “microdeviations.” These relatively minor deviant actions are frequently encountered online but are ineffectively checked by regulation. Their banal nature contributes to normalization, informing manufactured uncertainty and moral panic. Several examples of microdeviation are explored emphasizing the intersection of normalization and anxiety and the potential impact on digital spaces. While this issue is only part of the greater societal impact of informationalization, it nonetheless raises important questions as the global north progresses toward harmonizing Internet regulations.