CNET News Technically Incorrect If your account is subpoenaed, Facebook sends police, well, everythi
18 replies, posted
[QUOTE]
The Boston police department releases documents related to the so-called Craigslist Killer. Among those is the material released by Facebook under subpoena. It seems to include the whole of the killer's Facebook history.
by Chris Matyszczyk April 8, 2012 9:07 AM PDT
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We all live in the hope that we will never enjoy the prying eyes of the law.
But what happens if someone in authority decides they want to discover a little more about you? What if, despite your fine privacy settings on Facebook, the police or a prosecutor decides they'd like to bypass all of that?
As part of its investigation of Philip Markoff, the so-called Craigslist Killer, the Boston Phoenix got hold of the documents that Facebook sent the authorities after a subpoena had been issued.
These documents were part of the Boston Police Department's case file. They reveal that, in essence, Facebook is able to reveal everything you have posted to the site. At least, that is how it seems.
[IMG]http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/08/face_610x391.png[/IMG]
In this instance, the company offered up wall posts, a list of friends (complete with Facebook IDs), detailed data of logins and IP addresses, as well as all the photos Markoff posted or was tagged in.
The causal eye might imagine that Facebook -- the folks who brought you the historic Timeline -- keeps everything for a rainy day.
One fascination is that when you are subpoenaed, the process is confidential. Indeed, the letter from Suffolk County District Attorney's Office to Facebook reads: "Because this is a criminal investigation, we are requesting that neither you, nor your office disclose the fact or the existence of our request, the investigation and/or any compliance or action made with respect thereto."
The joy of Facebook -- for those who find it joyous -- is that it provides a vehicle for the sheer spontaneity of communication. You want people to make contact with your life, your friends, your happenings, your feelings, even. You want them to do it as soon as possible.
However, it's not like normal human spontaneity, which can dissipate and become a memory. It's recorded.
There's another aspect which is faintly troubling. If you happen to be the Facebook friend of someone who's subpoenaed, it appears that your details come along for the ride. So the authorities get far more of a view of you, even though you're not the one subject to investigation.
Facebook has traditionally refused to say how many subpoena requests it has had or, indeed, any details about them. It could well be that every last element of your Facebook activity has already been examined by someone in authority.
Should that prove to be the case, would you even be surprised?
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Sources:
[URL=http://issuu.com/thebostonphoenix/docs/markoff-facebook-subpoena/9?mode=window]The actual document released[/URL]
[URL]http://blog.thephoenix.com/blogs/phlog/archive/2012/04/06/when-police-subpoena-your-facebook-information-heres-what-facebook-sends-cops.aspx[/URL]
[URL]http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57411001-71/if-your-account-is-subpoenaed-facebook-sends-police-well-everything/[/URL]
I am not defending this or anything but what the hell did you expect?
Please, remember this one.
Whatever you post on a public service
[B]NEVER[/B]
count on the fact that it will stay private even if you say you wish so.
[quote]They reveal that, in essence, Facebook is able to reveal everything you have posted to the site. At least, that is how it seems.[/quote]
Why even bother mentioning this? It's their website, of course they'll be able to pull up everything you've ever posted.
I agree, I thought it was interesting to see what the legal document looked like.
Well it was only logical really. I'm not sure about the ethical justification though.
All the more reason to not use FB I guess. Not that I needed more. If they cared about user privacy they would supply only what the subpoena asks for. They wouldn't just be like "olol you've got a subpoena for this, this and this. Have EVERYTHING relating to your target and everyone on his friend list!".
Never gonna get a FB account. I don't want every last thing I've ever posted there ending up in the hands of the authorities because a random guy I never met that got on my friends list because we played TF2 together or something got subpoenad.
Just don't talk about murdering somebody on Facebook and you'll be fine.
Don't murder anybody either just to be safe.
[QUOTE=TestECull;35485167]All the more reason to not use FB I guess. Not that I needed more. If they cared about user privacy they would supply only what the subpoena asks for. They wouldn't just be like "olol you've got a subpoena for this, this and this. Have EVERYTHING relating to your target and everyone on his friend list!".
Never gonna get a FB account. I don't want every last thing I've ever posted there ending up in the hands of the authorities because a random guy I never met that got on my friends list because we played TF2 together or something got subpoenad.[/QUOTE]
Well lets think of it this way: Why should Facebook go through all the garbage and nonsense just to find related information that the authorities need.. Especially considering that people can't spell for shit online it'd be hard for them to make a search through all the posts.
So, they put everything into a nice box and send it off to authorities.. Let them deal with the bullshit.
Further more, it only states that FB gives the targets friend list.. Not every single one of the friends will have their info sent to the authorities. (Just their names I guess and pictures that are visible by their settings)
In other words FB gives EVERYTHING relating to the target. Friends, posts, pics/vids tagged in, places where he was logged in from and deleted posts (I'd assume)
FB is just following protocol. If you're a dumbass and post with your own identity the skeletons in your closet.. Well you only got yourself to blame really.
[editline]8th April 2012[/editline]
That goes for ANY social media websites by the way. Not just FB
I do not believe that privacy is a valid enough reason not to use FB.
-double post, snip-
[editline]8th April 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;35485611]I do not believe that privacy is a valid enough reason not to use FB.[/QUOTE]
Sure it is. Facebook makes no secret that any information you put on their website is given to advertisers and other organizations such as governmental bodies. If you don't want your info handed over so easy, then it's not a bad idea to not use Facebook.
Well quite frankly I don't care if they give my shit to the police.
If it's a decent cop, then I have nothing on my Facebook that would put me in a bad light in the legal system.
If it's a pig then they're going to make shit up to abuse their power and arrest me anyway, regardless of whether or not I actually deserve to be arrested, so there's no point in fighting it.
no sure if i didn't find, or Facebook didn't provided personal messages of suspect to the court
[QUOTE=peepin;35485362]Well lets think of it this way: Why should Facebook go through all the garbage and nonsense just to find related information that the authorities need?[/QUOTE]
Because that's all the authorities want and require for their investigation. It also means a sliver of customer goodwill, knowing that they give half a shit about your information and only hand it over when the law compels it as opposed to whenever they damn well feel like it.
[QUOTE=lavacano;35485746]Well quite frankly I don't care if they give my shit to the police.
If it's a decent cop, then I have nothing on my Facebook that would put me in a bad light in the legal system.
If it's a pig then they're going to make shit up to abuse their power and arrest me anyway, regardless of whether or not I actually deserve to be arrested, so there's no point in fighting it.[/QUOTE]
I don't have anything to hide but I reserve my right to hide it anyway. Facebook doesn't recognize this right, so I don't use facebook.
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;35485611]I do not believe that privacy is a valid enough reason not to use FB.[/QUOTE]
How about this, then: Four people sitting in the same house...at the same table...at the same time...right fucking next to each other...and they won't say a word. But they're chatting away on Facebook...while sitting right next to each other.
Fuck facebook. I can rattle off reason after reason after reason not to use it. I won't as it'd derail this thread, but I could.
[QUOTE=lavacano;35485746]Well quite frankly I don't care if they give my shit to the police.
If it's a decent cop, then I have nothing on my Facebook that would put me in a bad light in the legal system.[/quote]
The "you shouldn't have anything to hide" mentality can be used to justify virtually every invasion of privacy ever.
Anyway this should surprise no one. Don't put up any information on Facebook that you want to keep truly private. If you think for a second that Facebook's "privacy controls" are going to keep the eyes of the law away, you're a fool.
More reasons why I don't use Facebook anymore. I think I should delete the whole damn profile too.
[QUOTE=Noble;35486255] Don't put up any information on [B]THE INTERNET[/B] that you want to keep truly private.[/QUOTE]
Fixed
I don't see anything bad about this.
[QUOTE=garychencool;35486356]More reasons why I don't use Facebook anymore. I think I should delete the whole damn profile too.[/QUOTE]
There is no way to delete your FB profile; it is only "suspended". I've even contacted them to have it permanently removed (legally I can have this done) but even after being assured the account was cancelled and removed, I logged in again a few days later - everything was still there, from the start of it right to the last post I made.
So it's going to be there forever, unless you hit them with a lawsuit (and even then they'll want to settle instead, which you will probably do since it will be a very large amount of money).
well to be honest doesn't really matter that facebook sees my cat pictures or my random rantings, or who i date or whatever, it's the best tool around to talk with friends online, and meeting people, since i don't actually use my smarthphone to make calls or text might as well give in to the social networks
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