People are predictable, both on the internet and off it. Obviously the persona we use on the internet is quite different to that in real life, people are more willing to express themselves with miles and miles of cable inbetween them than they are in face to face conversation. This is a double-edged sword, it gives insular and insecure people a chance to flourish in a world where only their words are judged, but equally it allows other people to abuse that same anonymity for egotistical measures. The so-called 'Internet tough guy' for example, and other associated trolls.
Of course, I suspect that the article is more leaning towards the 'Minority Report' effect, which is possible but unlikely given how much we struggle to find room for prisoners that have committed crimes, vis a vis those who are predicted to do so. One might argue that through the rise of the cost of travel and the fear of crime we have become prisoners in our own homes anyway, seeking to experience the fulfilment we seek through the internet as opposed to real life experiences. Certainly within the next fifty years (century at the most I'd say) we will find more and more people existing longer on the internet than in reality, and with that comes a whole new set of troubles, dangers and excitement. Eventually I suspect we will begin to question reality itself, when we're not downloading virtual women/men of course...
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