Police use social networking to gather evidence

The EFF has praised the IRS for the manner in which it uses social networking to research suspects

Documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Federation (EFF) show that law enforcement is increasingly turning to social networking to gather evidence on suspects.

The documents show that law enforcement officers are actively looking at social networking sites for information to research suspects, the relationships they have with others and to glean personal information.

A confidential US Department of Justice presentation on social networking details strategy with sites and the ease with which they will yield information such as IP addresses to law enforcement.

The EFF also received documents from the IRS, which it praises for being more circumspect in its use of social networking to research suspects.

“The IRS should be commended for its detailed training that clearly prohibits employees from using deception or fake social networking accounts to obtain information. Its policies generally limit employees to using publicly available information,” it said in a blog post.

“The good example set by the IRS is in stark contrast to the US Marshalls and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Neither organisation found any documents on social networking sites in response to EFF’s request suggesting they do not have any written policies or restrictions upon the use of these websites.”

The presentation also covers advising witnesses against posting information about crimes on social networking sites and the danger of 'friending' judges who may be deciding on prosecutions.