U.S. Law Enforcement Obtaining Warrants to Search Facebook Profiles.

Since when do they have to have search warrants for facebook data mining? That $h1t went out the window years ago with the Patriot Act, that 99 percent of the sheeple approved of. This is what you get.

Echelon and Carnivore have been monitoring ALL communications for YEARS. Phone, email, EVERYTHING.

Probably just by visiting THIS website we are all on some kind of list somewhere already.

Who would be dumb enough to put anything important on facebook anyway? Oh, wait.

reply to post by xxsomexpersonxx


Oh, so this is when you put your settings to only friends and family can see it? I wonder what facebook's terms of service say. I know that they get away with a lot of privacy violations, or what would be privacy violations for smaller companies.

I don't really know the rules regarding executing search warrants when a person is not home, but I don't think they need to wait for you to get home (at least I've gathered this from watching law & order). So, why should they not be able to search your "private" facebook profile without your knowledge, especially since they have a warrant? I mean, facebook isn't exactly the same thing as busting into your home which you own. Instead, facebook is you voluntarily giving all your information to a corporation, who you know at least sells some info to other companies. So, I guess I'm wondering why someone has a greater expectation of privacy in information that is voluntarily given to a corporation, knowing full well that some of that info will be given to someone else, than in your own home?

Originally posted by Salamandy
Facebook is for drama kings and queens. I hope the gov weeds them all out and eliminates them anyway.

Facebook is so annoying - its like all the gossip of high school - only ressurrected for users well out of college.

I hope facebook dies.

If you re in highschool, then have a blast pouring through pictures to find out that your peers are pretty much all doing the same mundne processes expected of your age group. But please leave that gossippy stuff behind as you enter your 20's. Thanks

edit on 12-7-2011 by Salamandy because: (no reason given)

You hope the government kills off millions upon millions of people because they use facebook?

reply to post by Ryanp5555


Not really but I do not like facebook at all. Gossip leads to problems. Its not cute. But waddya gonna do? Nothin

Originally posted by Salamandy
reply to post by Ryanp5555

 

Not really but I do not like facebook at all. Gossip leads to problems. Its not cute. But waddya gonna do? Nothin

Oh, I agree. I wish I had never signed up for facebook in the first place. Now all that information is out there and I can't get rid of it by deleting my account. Instead, Facebook essentially owns it.

I mean yes, facebook does do some good, especially as it relates to Egypt. However, here in the US it causes more problems than helps (including ruining marriages). That is not to say that I don't support a business having the right to pursue any venture it darn well pleases though (so long as it is a legal venture -- aka not selling drugs; dealing weapons; etc).

reply to post by Ryanp5555


If your house gets searched without reasonable suspicion, you have a legal case. If your account gets searched for no reasonable suspicion, they get away with it. The simple act of knowing when you get searched plays a check to make sure they don't over reach their authority to invade privacy. Knowing that would also make you have more potential to be aware of any planted evidence, which is a genuine concern, either by cops or hackers setting you up.

I'm not against the searching of the facebook profiles, but a few simple regulations(such as notifying the searchie) would make it much less invasive and wouldn't hinder it's effectiveness.

Ponder this for me, how many people could you incriminate for marijuana possession just from their public information? Now include the private information. Just a thought, there are many laws I don't think should be enforceable, by private information. If no one's involved is going to the police, and no one's hurt, the police getting to still punish certain violations is not right.

It would be the same if they started scoping out ATS for any suspicious info. Technology has taken the work away from the man and made him lazy....cops don't do real police work anymore...they rely on tech and such. Take away the tech, take away the cops ability to find anything other than a donut shop.

Lets face it, without tech they couldn't find their a$$ with both hands, a road map, and a rear-view mirror.


Sad really as that seems to be the growing trend with Americans today not just cops. Still if they wanted to friend me on facebook, they'll be very surprised who they don't find, me!

I'm a chameleon of sorts, kinda hard to pin down when I want to be.

Originally posted by Castogere

I'm a chameleon of sorts, kinda hard to pin down when I want to be.

You tempt them, how incredibly brave and foolish of you.

A Reuters review of the Westlaw legal database shows that since 2008, federal judges have authorized at least two dozen warrants to search individuals' Facebook accounts. Read more: www.foxnews.com...

"They have authorized at least two dozen warrants"---are you serious? That's like a needle in a haystack, in my opinion. Who cares if they have two dozen over many years...that's NOTHING!

Looks like its time to make about 20 different fake profiles with the same name and picture and different types of information on it....let them sort out who is the real one lmao.

Originally posted by imitator

Originally posted by Druid42


Fortunately, I am probably one of the last people on earth who DOESN'T have a FB account. They can kiss my hairy white arse.

Even though you have no FB account, there is a 99% chance that someone on FB has posted a picture of you with your name tagged on it.....

Privacy is gone..... no such thing anymore.

You are 100% correct, my pic and name is on Facebook, posted by others at different times. Didn't think about that. Grr.

Originally posted by LargeFries
reply to post by Druid42

 

I have the feeling the fine Americans behind Facebook are receiving favors or fees for their compliance. Reading the article it appears there are prepared packages readily available for Big Bro's use and abuse.

Privacy and FB have nothing in common. Still, I feel bad for younger and young-at-heart users who post comments and pics that may surely come back to haunt them. Days ago I read online about a company who archives FB & similar sites, storing away the data for future sale to parties willing to plunk down coin.

That company will have access to most everything one may have put on FB and later erased or deleted. All those fun posts about the fun things some do, archived forever.

So it looks like anyone who doesn't know how to veil themselves behind a slew of techno geek hide me know how is fair game for snoops, spooks and potential employers (etcetera).

These statements are opinion only, so for those looking to stomp on someones neck, keep looking. I don't come to ATS for abuse.

Yes, my younger brother worked for a company that archived the internet. Their servers stored petabytes of information. Was FB one of them? Dunno, but it's true that a lot of information on the internet is being archived, stored, and waits to be recovered. Maybe we can re-boot the interweb after the collapse?

Originally posted by Ryanp5555
reply to post by Druid42

 

I have no idea why anyone would feel that their rights are infringed by the police looking at your Facebook. You essentially hold it out to the public.

You got me on that one. If you post it on FB, it is for the world to see. Right? Everything you put up can be seen by everyone, regardless, eh? There's not REALLY any privacy at all.

So why post anything? It's because humans are social creatures, and we like to share information, funny pics, videos, etc. How about anon vids getting banned on FB? What's up with that? You can post everything you want, except certain things.

People could simply flood the profile pages with unrelated images, links and texts.

Too easy.

If you haven't seen it - watch it. It will answer many of the questions I have seen asked here.

Originally posted by Xcathdra
reply to post by Druid42

 

The requirement to obtain a search warant has not changed. The request for search warrants in order to ontain facebook information should be clear that the laws are still being followed to obtain private information.

Out of curiosity why would people have an issue with this?

To answer your question, I'll grab a quote from the article:

None of the warrants discovered in the review have been challenged on the grounds that it violated a person's Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure, according to a review of the cases. Some constitutional-law experts said the Facebook searches may not have been challenged because the defendants - not to mention their "friends" or others whose pages might have been viewed as part of an investigation -- never knew about them. Read more: www.foxnews.com...

It's hard to put up a fuss about your 4th Amendment being violated when you don't even know it is being violated.

Originally posted by xxsomexpersonxx
reply to post by Ryanp5555

 

If your house gets searched without reasonable suspicion, you have a legal case. If your account gets searched for no reasonable suspicion, they get away with it. The simple act of knowing when you get searched plays a check to make sure they don't over reach their authority to invade privacy. Knowing that would also make you have more potential to be aware of any planted evidence, which is a genuine concern, either by cops or hackers setting you up.

I'm not against the searching of the facebook profiles, but a few simple regulations(such as notifying the searchie) would make it much less invasive and wouldn't hinder it's effectiveness.

Ponder this for me, how many people could you incriminate for marijuana possession just from their public information? Now include the private information. Just a thought, there are many laws I don't think should be enforceable, by private information. If no one's involved is going to the police, and no one's hurt, the police getting to still punish certain violations is not right.

Well, I think the correct term is probable cause. And if they are getting a warrant they have to have probable cause, right? So, as is the case here I believe, they have probable cause to search their facebook account since they obtained a warrant (i.e. no warrant can be supported without probable cause).

Also, I'm not sure the police could land a conviction for marijuana use. A conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. They are going to have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that whatever you are smoking is marijuana. And their only evidence will be a picture. No tests, no actual knowledge of what is in the joint/bong/pipe/whatever. But, let's say they do land a conviction based on the picture. I think the bigger question is not should the police have this right, but rather: why was that person stupid enough to post incriminating pictures online?!?!?! Would they post that same picture on their front door?

I understand people are social animals, but a little common sense in these situations can save you the hassle of this ever being a problem. Just as many people are finding out, its not a good idea to post pictures of you drinking, doing illegal drugs, partying, create wall posts bashing certain people, etc. Potential future employers make attempts to view your profile (and they have a lot of backhanded ways to do that); the police will view your profile; current employers may view your profile; and the list goes on.

Here is a nice rule of thumb if you are questionable on what to post: if you wouldn't say it to your grandma, or show it to your grandma, don't post it.

Facebook Lauced. Its like a virtual world were people discuss some of the mose personal and sensitive topics. Like live hollywood, smh... And people who wanted fame and didnt get it, they get it there even if incriminating themselves with the drama.

HA ! HA! The Internet is not PRIVATE! What the heck did you think? You have no private, no personal info protection or copyright protection of stories, music, photos, film, or firends...especailly profiles past and present.
You knew that goin in. So to think "wheres the privacy...?" is ridiculous.

So why is this any different than obtaining a search warrant to search someone's house, car or anything else? Of course such warrants must be authorized by a judge via due process of the law (which every citizen in the USA has the power to influence - and has been done in the past) and must have supporting evidence to legitimize such a warrant.

Please - let's keep the editorial, emotional reactions to ourselves and make any replies based on facts and specifics.

I've been advising people to drop Facebook for ages.

I've never joined, only looked at one or two profiles when it first caught my notice. I decided then it was ripe for abuse and exploitation from inception. I don't look at anything on it and avoid sites linked to it where possible.

Zuckerberg is an obvious genetic sociopath. If you think about it for even a little bit, you'll realize that Facebook is the perfect vehicle for a sociopath to manipulate and take advantage of others on a massive scale.

Get off Facebook, NOW.

Really, what true purpose does it serve you that you can't achieve a dozen other ways?