Law Enforcement and the Use of Social Media

Use of social media is becoming more and more prevalent. From Facebook, to Twitter, people use social media to share every minute detail of their lives. While it's not of much consequence for most users, social media is becoming an increasingly used tool to gather intel about people, especially when it comes to law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies are using social media more often to assist in finding and capturing suspects and potential threats. Learn how social media is used by law enforcement to help keep the public safe.

Scoping Out Criminal Posts.

Believe it or not, many criminals post about their crimes on social media. From murders to drug deals, police have caught harden criminals through their social media posts. Just because a profile is set to private doesn't mean that law enforcement can't access information. Law enforcement agencies don't necessarily need to befriend a suspect to look at a profile. If a person posts on social media, privacy is lost when those details are shared with Facebook friends. Getting permission from a suspect's Facebook friend is sufficient for the information to be used.

Undercover Projects.

Sometimes, law enforcement uses fake profiles on social media to gather information about suspects and even collect evidence of a crime. While most social media sites don't condone this practice, there's no law preventing it. According to a LexisNexis survey, 83 percent of law enforcement officials thought the practice is ethical.

Evidence in Court.

There's a fine line between what can and can't be used as evidence in court. However, social media is frequently used. Be mindful of the evidence that you're gathering so that it can be admitted in a court of law.

Ensure the safety of the public by using every tool possible to find and catch criminals. Enlist the help of an expert people search engine for the assistance that you need. Contact the professionals at Skopenow to help you get the digital information that you need.