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Feds on Facebook
Fox 10 TV ^ | March 17, 2010

Posted on 03/17/2010 9:09:05 PM PDT by myknowledge

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. law enforcement agents are following the rest of the Internet world into popular social-networking services, going undercover with false online profiles to communicate with suspects and gather private information, according to an internal Justice Department document that offers a tantalizing glimpse of issues related to privacy and crime-fighting.

Think you know who's behind that "friend" request? Think again. Your new "friend" just might be the FBI.

The document, obtained in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, makes clear that U.S. agents are already logging on surreptitiously to exchange messages with suspects, identify a target's friends or relatives and browse private information such as postings, personal photographs and video clips.

Among other purposes: Investigators can check suspects' alibis by comparing stories told to police with tweets sent at the same time about their whereabouts. Online photos from a suspicious spending spree - people posing with jewelry, guns or fancy cars - can link suspects or their friends to robberies or burglaries.

(Excerpt) Read more at fox10tv.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cheaptricks; cyberpolicestate; facebook; fakers; fakeuserids; fbi; multifakeids; nastygames; onlinepersona; onlinepersonae; onlinepersonas; onlineposers; paidposers; paidposters; phoneybaloney; phoneyposter; phoneyposters; posers; seriousbusiness; socialnetworking; stupidweirdos
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Be careful who you make friends with online...

...trust me, you DO NOT WANT an undercover fed as your Facebook friend.


1 posted on 03/17/2010 9:09:07 PM PDT by myknowledge
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To: myknowledge

i am always legal


2 posted on 03/17/2010 9:13:39 PM PDT by dalebert
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To: myknowledge

Um, my brother-in-law is one of my Facebook friends. Is that a bad thing?


3 posted on 03/17/2010 9:14:19 PM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Papa of two new Army Brats! Congrats to my Soldier son and his wife.)
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To: myknowledge
trust me, you DO NOT WANT an undercover fed as your Facebook friend.

How do we know you're not a Fed?

Fact is, sites like Facebook are for kiddies and strangos.

4 posted on 03/17/2010 9:14:33 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: myknowledge

Oh well. If they are on my list, maybe they’ll learn something.


5 posted on 03/17/2010 9:14:57 PM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade, There are only two sides. Pick one.)
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To: myknowledge

Bet your bottom dollar they are here too.


6 posted on 03/17/2010 9:16:30 PM PDT by panaxanax (No matter what the outcome may be, I will not vote for a RINO.)
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To: dragnet2

I do most of my political networking on facebook. I post Free Republic threads frequently. It’s great! You should try it.


7 posted on 03/17/2010 9:17:41 PM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade, There are only two sides. Pick one.)
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To: myknowledge

I am going to have to post some photos of me with guns.

I have a facebook friend who will be in big trouble. He has a profile picture of him with a fishing rod.


8 posted on 03/17/2010 9:17:46 PM PDT by feedback doctor (Tyrants fear freedom loving people with guns. And well they should!)
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To: panaxanax

Yep. Along with DHS.


9 posted on 03/17/2010 9:18:57 PM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade, There are only two sides. Pick one.)
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To: feedback doctor
I am going to have to post some photos of me with guns.

LOL.

10 posted on 03/17/2010 9:20:09 PM PDT by onyx (BE A MONTHLY DONOR - I AM)
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To: myknowledge

There was a story last year detailing how various state revenue departments were using Facebook to track down tax deliquents.

Why anyone would want to post their entire life for the world to see is beyond me - what good can come from it?


11 posted on 03/17/2010 9:26:50 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Camelot sleeps with the fishes!)
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To: panaxanax
Bet your bottom dollar they are here too.

We just turned on your camera and are monitoring you. We didn't even know they still MADE Hamm's Beer...

12 posted on 03/17/2010 9:31:53 PM PDT by freedumb2003 ( Tagline lost -- anyone seen it?)
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To: sageb1
I do most of my political networking on facebook. I post Free Republic threads frequently. It’s great! You should try it.

Post your facebook link!

13 posted on 03/17/2010 9:33:01 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: SoldierDad

No, because you know who he is personally.


14 posted on 03/17/2010 9:33:54 PM PDT by myknowledge (F-22 Raptor: World's Largest Distributor of Sukhoi parts!)
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To: GOPsterinMA
Why anyone would want to post their entire life for the world to see is beyond me - what good can come from it?

Complete self-centeredness. It is like Twitter -- some people think anyone (or everyone) gives a $hit about the fact he/she is at the doughnut shop.

I keep the tiniest footprint possible in the Interwebz. As FD2003, yeah, I get around. As my RL name, just a few business sites and even then with no personal information.

15 posted on 03/17/2010 9:35:10 PM PDT by freedumb2003 ( Tagline lost -- anyone seen it?)
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To: myknowledge

Oh, my! I play Mafia Wars on Facebook...I am SURE to be
on their hit list! LOL!


16 posted on 03/17/2010 9:35:51 PM PDT by luvie (DIMs?......start packin'--you're fired!)
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To: myknowledge
DO NOT WANT an undercover fed as your Facebook friend

As long as they send my Maison frame parts in Farmville they could be FBI, NSA, DHS, DEA, CIA, and IRS not sure I care.

17 posted on 03/17/2010 9:41:46 PM PDT by Domandred (Fdisk, format, and reinstall the entire .gov system.)
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To: myknowledge

This should come as no surprise as Facebook has been noted in the past to work as a great tool for the intelligence communities to track the population.


18 posted on 03/17/2010 9:51:58 PM PDT by Republic_of_Secession.
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To: myknowledge

If you have nothing to hide, what’s to worry about? / s


19 posted on 03/17/2010 10:00:52 PM PDT by ChrisInAR (You gotta let it out, Captain!)
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To: freedumb2003
Great point!!! "Look at me"

Really, who gives a sh*t who's at a donut shop or that someone made an omelet with 3 eggs instead of 4. Fools that friend me on FB and post inane drivel like that are quickly de-friended. Twitter is a farce as well.

I'm with you regarding a tiny cyberspace footprint.

20 posted on 03/17/2010 10:08:24 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Camelot sleeps with the fishes!)
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