Use of digital tools, AI, and new technologies

Digitalisation and emerging technologies are transforming both the methods of crime and the operational landscape of law enforcement. Criminal actors increasingly exploit encrypted platforms, anonymisation tools and Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) markets, reducing investigative visibility and complicating cross-border cooperation.
The rapid evolution of AI misuse, enabling the creation of deepfakes, adaptive malware and synthetic identities, further accelerates harm and outpaces the development of detection and investigative tools. These developments create far-reaching capability challenges, from tracing fraud involving cryptocurrencies and NTFs to investigating modern vehicle-related digital crime or obtaining admissible electronic evidence from encrypted or AI-altered sources.