Tweet with Caution: Big Brother is Watching

There are several different hazards on the internet. There are viruses, Trojans, worms, and data bombs to name a few. There are also Narcs, informants, and G-men. It seems that several different government organizations are monitoring any suspicious behavior they may find on the social networks. It seems that you no longer need to fear your employer finding your page, there are now several different law enforcement groups that are patrolling as well. It seems that they have had some level of success at it, too.

It seems that sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are beginning to be a platform to brag about the many things that they have done. These even include some illegal accomplishments. It seems that the FBI is finding several people that are posing with stolen goods and even vehicles. Not only are they able to track these through pictures, but many of these criminals are bragging about the origins of the goods. It is not just the obvious people getting caught either. There are several people finding themselves in the wrong seat of a cop car now.

One such example was a man that fled to Mexico to escape jurisdiction for bank fraud charges. It seems that a Seattle crime watch organization found his posts of sipping Mai Tai's in Mexico. This prompted them to notify Mexican officials and he was promptly arrested and was awaiting extradition. The list does not stop there. Whether the criminals are on the run, out of country, or just thinking that no one is watching, they are beginning to get caught.

There are many that would argue that this is an invasion of privacy. With everyone having access to the internet, they can also have access to your social pages. If anyone wants to know about you or your opinions, it just takes a trip to Twitter or even a Yahoo search. These opinions can not only find you unemployed, but now they can find you on your way to Sing-Sing. So to be on the safe side, don't post anything that can be used against you. If you make your money from drugs and theft, don't outline your drug delivery route on Twitter. "Making a crack drop on the corner of 9^th and Bleeker" is not the smartest post to put on your site. In the same sense, rating Joe's Diner as a great place to fence stolen Rolex's on FourSquare isn't very employer friendly or conducive to freedom. In short, if you are in to illegal activity, would you really advertise to the FBI your exact plans? That is exactly what you are doing if you post it on Twitter or any other social site. As long as they do not cross the line, I am all for the Feds using this to trap criminals. If they are stupid enough to post it to the internet, they deserve to get caught anyways.

Sources:

When Tweets Can Make You a Jailbird

Feds Consider Going Undercover on Social Networks