If you’ve been up to “no good,” you might want to think twice about who you ‘friend’ on Facebook and other social media sites, because there just might be a government official trying to track you down. The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has been collecting information on how a variety of U.S. federal agencies are fighting crime using Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social networks.
The EFF, who have been collecting details on the social media tracking efforts of U.S. agencies, has published a justice department document [PDF, 35 pgs] that outlines how agents can use social media to track suspects and get them to reveal incriminating details. While a parallel IRS social media policy and training document [PDF, 38 pgs] indicates that agents are not allowed to obtain information via fake identities, other agencies such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals, the DEA, and BATF apparently don’t have such policies in place. In fact, FBI agents have apparently created fake identities to lure and track suspects. Cases are widespread as to reason for tracking, including sex offences, tax infractions, and other potential criminal activities.
This news kind of makes Facebook’s publishing of your consumer purchases pale in comparison, in the privacy violation spectrum. So if you’re concerned about your privacy — and hopefully not because of crimes you’re committing — make sure not to friend people you don’t know, especially those with no profile pic and no friends in common. Of course, if your friends confirm ‘add’ requests willy-nilly, strangers can still access some information about you through them. So learn all you can about Facebook privacy features and apply whatever is appropriate.
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Privacy sure is tough in a world that is becoming so transparent. I'm beginning to just think in terms of "personal security."
Comment by Garrett Link — March 18, 2010 @ 7:50 am
I can see how this could be good to target groups of people who are up to no good. But I can also see how some not-so-savvy facebook user who accepts friend requests from everyone/anyone would be a victim of guilt by association. And as far as privacy is concerned I agree with the comment from Garrett.
Comment by Gina — March 18, 2010 @ 8:58 am
There’s a reason why I’m careful about who I connect with. I have a personal policy that I must have actually met someone in person, or otherwise have an established relationship with a person in a medium OUTSIDE of Facebook before they will get added as a Friend.
Comment by Tom Ditmars — March 21, 2010 @ 11:48 pm
They are already reading your personal email and listening to your private telephone conversations and filming your everyday social activities and logging your purchases and recording your online activities and logging your web searches and and and and…
Comment by nunya damizness — March 24, 2010 @ 4:09 am
Well then it sure helps when you are a law abiding citizen then, doesn't it? It's nice not to have to worry about stuff like this.
Comment by Val — March 26, 2010 @ 8:07 pm