Social Media - Valuable Tool for Law Enforcement

Social media has become a valuable tool for law enforcement, to monitor and investigate gang activity. Police are recognizing the Internet is now a key investigative tool. 

Social Media culture, and how it benefits law enforcement:
1. Over-sharing – provides valuable information.
2. Photo-based applications– serves as photographic evidence.
3. Lack of security/privacy settings (and knowledge of these settings) – permits access to “public” information.
4. “Online-courage” – False concept of “anonymity” and so people are much more outspoken and “daring” behind their computer/mobile phones.

Social media has become an intelligence tool for gathering information and evidence.