While states are busy passing legislation to protect your passwords from employers and schools, Americans still have little in the way of guaranteed privacy on social media sites. The police can rely on a 1986 law that was extended to the internet by the Patriot Act to conduct surveillance on social media sites without a warrant. Declan McCullagh provides more details in his article “Feds Snoop on Social-Network Accounts Without Warrants.”
A seemingly innocent post on Facebook blowing off a little steam which you may think is just being seen by your friends could land you in hot water. While context and privacy settings will ultimately be considered, you could find yourself in court before that happens if someone takes an idle post more seriously than you mean it. Robert Hilson looks at the issue in his article “Posting Idle Facebook Threats May Land Social Media Users in Law Enforcement Crosshairs.”
Here is yet another story about how important social media is becoming in day-to-day law enforcement. Police are using social media to help build community with the public in addition to catching criminals. The Warner Robins, Georgia, Police Department recently found out what a powerful tool social media could be. Read Ashley Minelli’s story “Law Enforcement Using Social Media to Connect with Community” to learn more.
Police in Michigan are refining and increasing how they use social media to solve and prevent crimes. Cecil Angel writes about how “Michigan Police Use Facebook, Twitter to Catch Crooks.” Michigan police are using social media to track down criminals, but they are also using it proactively to reach out to the public and to detect and prevent crime before in can happen.
Still think people exaggerate when they talk about how pervasive social media has become in everyone’s life? According to a post on the CBS news site a “New Chicago Gang Book Explores How Gangs Are Using Social Media.”
It’s likely not surprising to anyone that social media is playing a part in Occupy Wall Street. Here’s an article on just one instance of how social media is being harnessed.
By Drew Grant, “Occupy Wall Street’s Media Team Arrested, Secretly Film Events in Back of Police Van.” New York Observer.
Here’s another interesting article on Police Departments incorporating Social Media, like Facebook and Twitter, into their arsenals: to catch criminals, to inform the public, and to build good relationships with the public. All of these uses may have future impact in courts.
“Law Enforcement Turning to Social Media” by Joni Berg
The NYPD has announced plans for a special unit to monitor social media for criminals who post about crimes they have committed or are planning to commit.
Julie Gottlieb posted “NYPD Establishes ‘Social Media Unit'” on Social Media Law News. Read the full article here:
http://socialmedialawnews.com/2011/08/12/nypd-establishes-social-media-unit/