Facebook Is 'Teeming' With Fake Accounts Created By Undercover Cops (nbcnews.com) 126
An anonymous reader quotes NBC News:
Police officers around the country, in departments large and small, working for federal, state and local agencies, use undercover Facebook accounts to watch protesters, track gang members, lure child predators and snare thieves, according to court records, police trainers and officers themselves. Some maintain several of these accounts at a time. The tactic violates Facebook's terms of use, and the company says it disables fake accounts whenever it discovers them. But that is about all it can do: Fake accounts are not against the law, and the information gleaned by the police can be used as evidence in criminal and civil cases. Investigators know this, which is why the accounts continue to flourish.
"Every high-tech crime unit has one," said an officer who uses an undercover account to monitor gang members and drug dealers in New Jersey and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid having the account exposed or shut down. "It's not uncommon, but we don't like to talk about it too much." The proliferation of fake Facebook accounts and other means of social media monitoring -- including the use of software to crunch data about people's online activity -- illustrates a policing "revolution" that has allowed authorities to not only track people but also map out their networks, said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, senior counsel at New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice....
Judges in New Jersey and Delaware have upheld investigators' use of fake social media profiles. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Cincinnati Police Department and the Chicago Police Department have publicly boasted of using undercover Facebook accounts in cases against accused child predators, gangs and gun traffickers. Following an outcry after a Drug Enforcement Administration agent created a fake Facebook account in a suspect's name to catch members of a drug ring, the Department of Justice promised in 2014 to review the agency's policies -- but the department did not respond to multiple requests to say what has changed. Several law enforcement agencies, including the New York Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center, have policies that explicitly allow the creation of fake profiles, with some conditions -- including obtaining prior approval from a superior and limiting interactions with targets.... [P]olice agencies have been able to keep undercover accounts for years without Facebook discovering them.
After one successful ACLU lawsuit this August, a Memphis activist discovered that his local police department had assembled 22,000 pages about him and his friends.
"Every high-tech crime unit has one," said an officer who uses an undercover account to monitor gang members and drug dealers in New Jersey and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid having the account exposed or shut down. "It's not uncommon, but we don't like to talk about it too much." The proliferation of fake Facebook accounts and other means of social media monitoring -- including the use of software to crunch data about people's online activity -- illustrates a policing "revolution" that has allowed authorities to not only track people but also map out their networks, said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, senior counsel at New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice....
Judges in New Jersey and Delaware have upheld investigators' use of fake social media profiles. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Cincinnati Police Department and the Chicago Police Department have publicly boasted of using undercover Facebook accounts in cases against accused child predators, gangs and gun traffickers. Following an outcry after a Drug Enforcement Administration agent created a fake Facebook account in a suspect's name to catch members of a drug ring, the Department of Justice promised in 2014 to review the agency's policies -- but the department did not respond to multiple requests to say what has changed. Several law enforcement agencies, including the New York Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center, have policies that explicitly allow the creation of fake profiles, with some conditions -- including obtaining prior approval from a superior and limiting interactions with targets.... [P]olice agencies have been able to keep undercover accounts for years without Facebook discovering them.
After one successful ACLU lawsuit this August, a Memphis activist discovered that his local police department had assembled 22,000 pages about him and his friends.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
"Criminal impersonation is a crime
-
The above doesn't apply to police working in an undercover capacity.
Re: (Score:1)
Laws are for little people.
Re: (Score:2)
"Criminal impersonation is a crime"
-
'The above doesn't apply to police working in an undercover capacity.'
Or to people inventing an alias for privacy purposes, which have around 2 billion of the FB accounts.
Re: Impersonation is a crime (Score:4, Insightful)
Excellent tip. Could you explain how? I would like to try. But my understanding is that getting a single account deleted is already quite hard to accomplish for most people. How do you delete Facebook in its entirety?
Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
Re: (Score:1)
What's up that that creimer shit? Is that a feud of some kind?
It is there in every comment section, even more common than apk and derogatory comments about Trump.
Re: (Score:2)
Undercover police are not committing crimes, they are working to catch other people who are committing crimes.
Except for when they are committing crimes in order to seem like a legitimate criminal, entrapping other criminals.
You keep using this word [wikipedia.org]. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Re: (Score:2)
Then the law needs to change. Domestic surveillance of non criminals [emphasis mine] by any 'authority' is shameful, wrong, and worth having a war over.
There is a simple solution: ensure that there is no such thing as "non criminals" [thecrux.com].
Re: (Score:2)
0. The reversal of state surveillance can be accomplished without physical violence, maybe, but not without effort. The ballot box will need to be employed in dramatic and overwhelming fashion, and that will take an effort equal to the effort put forth by the Left in America.
1. If it does come down to physical violence, unthinkable as that is, it will be the Second American Revolution. The first one wasn't won so much by force of arms as by perseverance, cunning, and good fortune. Plenty of examples of our
Re: (Score:3)
All are perfectly legal when done by authorities.
Except when they aren't?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
When did the discussion become about entrapment? I thought it was about impersonation.
Ah, yes, when you're losing the argument, change the subject.
Re: (Score:2)
I could make the case that all legal entrapment is in essence impersonation.
But I won't, for this should be obvious.
Re: Impersonation is a crime (Score:1)
it would be very easy to tell if a fake account is a cop because they are prohibited from stealing your money so they wonâ(TM)t ask for it.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
The tactic violates Facebook's terms of use, and the company says it disables fake accounts whenever it discovers them. But that is about all it can do: Fake accounts are not against the law, and the information gleaned by the police can be used as evidence in criminal and civil cases. Investigators know this, which is why the accounts continue to flourish.
According to the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a websites TOS are legally binding and are enforceable as if law.
That makes fake accounts *on fac
Re: (Score:1)
Yep, cops get all kinds of privs that they abuse, like the fact that they regularly go 20+ miles over the speed limit for no reason at all.
The reality should be that rather than a lower standard, cops should be held to the highest standard of all. Any crimes committed while on duty should receive double or triple the regular punishment.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, and I'm going to get a ticket for obstructing traffic by refusing to driver more than ten miles an hour over the legal limit.
Re:Impersonation is a crime (Score:5, Informative)
The CFAA [cornell.edu] specifically says:
This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States.
So, no.
Re: (Score:2)
Thus said, there is also a big difference between using said accounts to "follow criminals" and catch "child predators" VS "unde
people in the witness protection program do not ha (Score:2)
people in the witness protection program do not have to give up there real name or even under cover cops.
Re: Impersonation is a crime (Score:5, Funny)
Completely irrelevant. If I pretend to be you, that's impersonation. If I assume a completely fake identity, that is not impersonation.
Do you really think that when Patrick Stewart plays Jean Luc Picard, he's breaking the law?
Re: (Score:1)
"I'm not really Worf, son of Mogh - I'm a police officer - and you, Gowron are UNDER ARREST!"
Re: (Score:2)
Completely irrelevant. If I pretend to be you, that's impersonation. If I assume a completely fake identity, that is not impersonation. Do you really think that when Patrick Stewart plays Jean Luc Picard, he's breaking the law?
Your argument is (implicitly) premised on the idea that if Patrick Stewart portrays a real person in a movie, he WOULD be breaking the law. Since that's not true, this particular arg is invalid.
Re: (Score:3)
Maybe you should try reading the actual law [cornell.edu], particularly section (f), and maybe you will see where your brilliant analysis falls apart.
Seems reasonable overall (Score:2)
There's a problem with the fact that the police are ignoring the terms of service of course; in theory we would like to believe that cops don't disobey the law. But otherwise? What you do PUBLICLY on line is clearly available for anyone to see, so it's not unreasonable for cops to use this for intelligence gathering.
Re: (Score:3)
Lots of facebook accounts and groups are private, i.e. set to "friends only" or "group members only" - so I, in my smug absence of a facebook account, can't see what those people have posted - it's not really "public" - more like a private room at a bar. To become a 'friend" or gain group membership, the police are clearly lying. It's up to a court to decide how bad that is, when balanced against capture and conviction of offenders.
People too stupid to perceive this will be caught - the smarter ones will fi
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed; it's widely recognised that cops only catch stupid criminals.
Re: (Score:2)
What law do you suppose they are disobeying? Since you mention TOS, I guess you mean the CFAA. But that law specifically exempts lawful investigative, protective, or intelligence activities by law enforcement agencies.
Re: (Score:2)
Good (Score:2)
Re:Good (Score:4, Funny)
If you post illegal stuff to Facebook...you might be a moron. Out of the gene pool, please.
Not quite out of the gene pool, but in the UK one guy just came out of court and posted on FaceBook: "I think I've got away with it." That was shown to the judge who took it as a confession.
Re: (Score:2)
https://www.abcactionnews.com/... [abcactionnews.com]
Re: Good (Score:2)
âoe If you post illegal stuff to Facebook...you might be a moron. Out of the gene pool, please. âoe
Think a little deeper.
Assume you do something stupid and the police are looking for you. They watch your FaceBook account to see if youâ(TM)re dumb enough to post to it.
You donâ(TM)t because you know theyâ(TM)re probably watching.
So, the police use one of their many fake accounts to watch and / or get cozy with your FB friends and contacts.
One of your friends canâ(TM)t resist the
May be OK to catch crooks ... (Score:2)
and other ne'er-do-wells, but the worry is that this is also happing to catch those who are not liked because they organise political protests that are entirely legitimate but just get up the noses of those in power or that individual cops just disagree with.
We do have double standards about police behaviour: we expect them to catch crooks while behaving in a 100% morally correct way. I wish that this were true, I just don't know how realistic/practical it is, crooks don't behave in a morally correct way so
Re: (Score:2)
Find the embassy workers who are undercover for their nations clandestine services. Their created social media goes back years and is back dated to look very realistic.
What the police should have done was create 1000's of accounts years ago all over social media and kept them all updated with a few weekly comments depending on politics, location and demographics.
Hmmm (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
There were two States (Delaware and New Jersey) mentioned by name in TFS. Neither is a bastion of the GOP. Four Dem Senators, 8 Dem Representatives, 5 GOP Representatives, between the two of them.
So the problem doesn't seem to be a GOP "Deep State" thing, unless the Democratic Party is part of the GOP these days....
Good (Score:2)
And? (Score:2)
I'm trying to see what the issue. Part of the police's job is to investigate. They can't always do it by shouting, "I'm a cop!" from the rooftops. Sometimes they have to be more subtle.
It's like people whining there are police who go undercover to arrest drug dealers. Um, yeah?
Re:And? (Score:5, Insightful)
To some extent I agree, but this still falls under investigation. Protesting is fine. Destroying property or attacking people is not.
In many (most?) cases when there is a planned protest, the police and protest group(s) will coordinate with each other to lay down ground rules. The people get to peacefully protest, and the police's job is made easier since they don't have to worry (as much) about people being stupid.
As we know, while the protesters may be peaceful, there are those anarchists who think it's funny to destroy someone else's property when there's a protest march. Those are the ones police are looking for as well the white supremacists and the like who openly state they're going to attack certain people.
Re: (Score:1)
Wow, aren't you the bloody perfectly docile fascist citizen.
One word: COINTELPRO. Never trust a cop. They serve TPTB, not you.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They're not looking for white supremacists.
Re: (Score:2)
So you're at slashdot too now?
You should read up on what police originally was. Sir Robert Peel and all that. It's quite quixotic, but we've got that optimism to thank for so much today.
Then you might read up on the history of secret police, and decide if that's really something you want.
Welcome to Facebook! (Score:4, Funny)
Where men are men, women are men, and children are FBI agents.
Well ... (Score:2)
Reporting fake pages (Score:1)
The "lure" pages set by police won't be reported because:
1 If they recognize it as fake, they won't want to raise their hand as someone who surfs that type of site
2 If they don't recognize it as fake, their in jail with no Facebook access
On the legality of fake accounts (Score:3)
"Fake accounts are not against the law..."
Pretty sure they are in the USA Criminal Code: 18 U.S. Code 1030 - "Fraud and related activity in connection with computers" (a)(2)(C) "Whoever intentionally accesses a computer without authorization or exceeds authorized access, and thereby obtains information from any protected computer..." and the term "protected computer" is defined in 1030 (e)(2)(B) as "a computer which is used in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or communication, including a computer located outside the United States that is used in a manner that affects interstate or foreign commerce or communication of the United States."
If you are using a fictional identity to register with a members-only website, then you are certainly using "a protected computer without authorization," since nearly every internet route (not LAN) is an interstate communication, making almost every webserver a "protected computer," and the fictional identity is authorized for access but you are not that fictional person therefore you are not authorized when you claim to be someone you aren't.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
It's holding officials to the same standards they use for us plebs. Just ask Aaron Swartz.
You have to read the whole thing.... (Score:2)
You need to read the rest of the law [cornell.edu] because it explicitly contradicts your point:
"This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States." (emphasis added)
Hint: if a non-lawyer has a theory about how a common police tactic is actually illegal and you can't find any lawyers arguing it, you're probably wrong.
It's a legal term with a legal definition... (Score:2)
> Entrapment is still entrapment, legal or not.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. [youtube.com]
It's a legal term for a crime. It has a legal definition. Some people think it means something else.
Then they arrive in court and they find out that the courts only recognize the legal definition. It's always interesting to me watch people who can't keep track of the difference between how the world is and how they wish it to be grappling with reality.
How is this not criminal trespass? (Score:2)
FB is private property. FB has said you are not permitted to use our service for this purpose. If the police tried to move into your upstairs bedroom to try and get evidence on a neighbor they would have to get your permission. How is this different?
I could also see FB TOS saying that any law enforcement entity using our service without permission agrees to pay us $10000 day for as long as the account was active. Then send them a bill.
Re: (Score:2)
It's like offering an apartment unit for rent. Someone signs the lease and they move in. Only later do you find out that they are using it for surveillance on the neighbors.
The First 48 (Score:2)
If you ever watch this show (which is often quite interesting BTW), you will note that homicide investigators often use Facebook as an investigative tool to find info on suspects and their acquaintances.
The lesson, of course, is that if you are a criminal you should not be using Facebook, period.
"Teeming"??? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm okay (Score:1)
I'm not a cop or in law enforcement but I've got 17 facebook accounts. I've been shepherding them along for a while and none of them have been shutdown. I don't have a use for them right now but in the future...
Entrapment, impersonatiom, identity theft! (Score:1)
look here (Score:2)
Search Facebook for fake accounts in your name (Score:3)
Just because you don't have an FB account, don't feel safe. Someone may be impersonating you.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne... [dailymail.co.uk]
https://www.timesunion.com/new... [timesunion.com]
Go to Google search and enter the search string
"Your Name" site:facebook.com
Replace "Your Name" with your actual name. If your name is common, you'll obviously get some false positives. A similar search can be done for LinkedIn, MySpace, whatever by inserting the appropriate domain in the "site:" reference..
Can't really imagine (Score:1)
Who falls for this shit? (Score:2)