Big Brother or clever crime fighting?
Police use of social media raises concerns about privacy.
Law enforcement agencies around the world are increasingly using social media to fight crime. From a Facebook manhunt in Germany to a “terrorist-tracking” smartphone app developed by the US government, netizens are being called on to help the police. Investigators are also mining social networks for suspicious activity, raising questions about how far online monitoring should go.
In this episode of The Stream, we speak to Ginger McCall, a civil liberties activist, and Lauri Stevens, a social media consultant for law enforcement agencies.
What do you think? How should police draw the line between protecting citizens and infringing on their privacy? Send us your thoughts and comments on Facebook or Twitter using hashtag #AJStream.
Here are some of the social media elements featured in this episode of The Stream: