Your (Facebook) Friendly Law Enforcement Officer
Although we don’t practice criminal law, recent articles such as the one in ABC News should spark anyone’s interest. The issue is whether law enforcement authorities can or should become online “friends’ to pursue their criminal investigations.
ABC News reports that an internal Justice Department document states that U.S. law enforcement agents are using social media to surreptitiously collect information on suspects. According to ABC News, the document, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, reveals that agents are browsing targeted individual’s postings, personal photographs and video clips, as well as identifying their friends and relatives. Additionally,according to the report, agents may disguise themselves with false online profiles and exchange messages with suspects.
This, of course, brings up a plethora of issues about privacy and crime-fighting. Where does one draw the proverbial line? How much of the evidence from social networking is admissible in court? The alleged perpetrators in the popular NBC “To Catch a Predator” series claimed entrapment. Fortunately, it seems many suspects are reckless, posting photos of themselves on their Facebook pages enjoying the spoils of their illicit activities.
Recent cases seem to indicate that individual states will be controlling these decisions. California, for example, seems to be more protective of social media privacy than New York.
We’ll keep a close eye on these developments. In the meantime, we advise everyone, whether a Good Guy or Bad Guy, to check privacy settings. And, know who your “friends” are.
