FBI tracks criminals via social networking sites

That person browsing your profile, reading your updates, and maybe even sending a friend request or following you on whichever social network you use could be from the F.B.I. At least if an internal Justice Department document is to be believed.

Privacy is a huge issue on the Web right now. The rights of an individual to maintain the privacy they want has somewhat conflicted with the policies of Google, Facebook and many other companies in the past couple of years. And a document has now emerged showing that the F.B.I. along with other Federal police agencies regularly use social networking sites to keep tabs on and track suspected criminals.

A 33-page document (PDF Link) obtained by the E.F.F. (Electronic Frontier Foundation) by way of the Freedom of Information Act details four of the biggest social networks (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn) and how they can be used to obtain information pertaining to criminal investigations.

The main reason U.S. law enforcement agents are directed towards checking out the social networking sites are that they can:

• Reveal personal communications
• Establish motives and personal relationships
• Provide location information
• Prove and disprove alibis
• Establish crime or criminal enterprise

Federal police agencies have, of course, used the Web for a long time to ensnare or catch people engaged in illegal activity. For instance, catching would-be pedophiles by setting up fake sting sites purporting to contain pictures or videos of naked minors. But the emergence of social networking sites as locations where almost everybody has some sort of presence means that they are the new target.

There are established rules for going undercover in the real world, but not online. So while a federal agent couldn’t impersonate a parent, spouse, or best friend offline, on the Web they can, with the whole thing regarded as a legal gray area, at best.

Until the issue is cleared up then beware who you are befriending or letting follow you on social networking sites: they may be there to do a little official/unofficial digging.

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• Social networking sites: A favorite hunting ground for identity thieves
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• What’s the revenue model for social networking sites?