Sgt. Social Media - Is social media becoming an effective tool in law enforcement?

At fatBuzz, not only do we like to keep tabs on the world of social media and all things digital, we also keep a close eye on the news.

Recently, we've noticed the digital world and news world are coming ever closer to each other, and at times, becoming intertwined.

In this blog post, Social Media Account Manager, Cameron, discusses how social media is becoming an effective tool in law enforcement.

Remember the ‘Peru Two’; the two girls who got caught trying to smuggle 25kg (£1.5 million) worth of cocaine out of Peru? If not, don’t worry, there’s a blog we wrote about them HERE.

In their statements, the girls tell how they were working in Ibiza and did not meet until they were 'kidnapped at gunpoint' and forced to go to Majorca, however photos uploaded to Instagram allegedly showed the two of them sunning themselves in Ibiza together.

This most likely had a large impact on the case and, who knows, may have just resulted in the two pleading guilty to the charges. However, the ‘Peru Two’ aren't the only ‘bad guys’ who have been incriminated through social media.

In recent news, Rihanna's activity on Twitter and Instagram led to three arrests by Thai police. Her images and tweets from her visit to Phuket led to two people being arrested for illegal wildlife touting, while the other was charged with obscenity and operating a venue without a permit.

Heck, even Snapchat is being used by officials in certain cases. When you send a ‘Snap’ it is held on a Google-cloud server until the snap is opened, and once opened, it ‘disappears’ off of the server.

Micah Schaffer, the Head of Trust and Safety for Snapchat said: “Since May 2013, about a dozen of the search warrants we've received have resulted in us producing unopened Snaps to law enforcement. That’s out of 350 million Snaps sent every day.”

So, why are authorities increasingly using social media as a means to capture criminals? Well, it’s pretty obvious, isn't it?

Facebook users upload 350 million photos each day, Twitter users post a combined 500 million tweets per day, while Instagram’s 150 million + users upload 55 million photos every day!

This plethora of content, allied with our generation’s inclination to document every aspect of their lives online, potentially offers authorities an incredible and seemingly endless database of information about even the most intricate details of people.

But is it any surprise? As you can see from this blog post, social media is now being used for different markets, industries and institutions.

Undoubtedly, whether it is marketing or law enforcement, the power of social media is on the rise.

Do you agree with Cameron's views? Do you think that social media is becoming an effective tool in law enforcement? Let us know by either commenting on the blog post, or by getting in touch on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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The Peru Two - A Social Media Downfall?

At fatBuzz, we like to keep an eye on what’s happening, not only in the world of social media, but also the world in general. And when the two combine, it’s something that really gets us talking.

Just this weekend, it was reported that alleged Ibiza 'drug mule' Melissa Reid is set to plead guilty after striking a deal that could see her walk free from prison in less than three years.

Reid, along with Michaella McCollum Connolly, was facing up to 25 years' imprisonment after being caught with £1.5 million worth of cocaine in their suitcases at Lima International Airport.

In this blog post, social media account manager, Graeme Geddes, looks at how big a part social media has played in the girls' downfall.

'Having read news reports and watched bulletins on the television of the 'Peru Two', I believe that central to the case being built by the police in Peru are a series of photographs.

'The girls, Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum Connolly, claim that they met for the first time in Peru, however images of the two together in bikinis would suggest they were, in fact, together in Ibiza.

'With it being winter in Peru just now, would the girls really have been wearing so little clothing?

'Not only that, yet more pictures have emerged. Among these photographs is one of a Nokia mobile phone with the caption 'Wongamaker' on Instagram.

'That particular photo went up before she left her home in Scotland to work on party island Ibiza, so how are the authorities discovering these images? Social media, of course.

'The Peruvian police have been able to simply and effortlessly trawl through a host of images taken by both Reid and McCollum Connolly, which have all be posted on the girls’ personal Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

'And going on what has been widely reported by the media thus far, it would appear these images are going to play an instrumental part in this case.

'Will this be the first time we have really witnessed social media form a huge part of a high profile court case?

'As more of us use social media, we are all beginning to log everything we do, even minor, inconspicuous (at the time) things.

'Not only that, we are increasingly adding locations to our Instagram pictures, our tweets, and our Facebook statuses.

'Everytime we post a picture, even if it is of our dinner, we’ve leaving a trail of virtual breadcrumbs; perhaps this is something we should all bear in mind and be more wary of?

'Unfortunately for the ‘Peru Two’, this is something they didn’t think of when they were out partying in Ibiza, and it could very well be their downfall if it can be proved their stories are false.

'This is a story that will undoubtedly keep evolving over the coming weeks and months, and one which we will continue to keep a close eye on.'

What are your thoughts on how social media could be logging your every move? And do you have concerns about the privacy offered on social network sites?

Just leave a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter - we would love to hear your thoughts.

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