7-12-2012 National:
Predators are finding victims via social networks
Social networks such as Facebook and others use a mix of software and personnel to be on the lookout for potential sexual predators. What many users of Facebook may not know is that the site has a lot of technology in place for scanning postings and chats looking for criminal activity. This automated technology scans conversations and will flag questionable content for human moderators who can read it and then inform authorities if needed.
Reuters reports that the technology was used in March of this year when it flagged a suspicious conversation between a man in his early 30s and a 13-year-old girl who were talking about sex. When the man agreed to meet the girl after class the next day, Facebook employees notified the police who arrested the man.
"The manner and speed with which they contacted us gave us the ability to respond as soon as possible," said Duncan, one of a half-dozen law enforcement officials interviewed who praised Facebook for triggering inquiries.
Most social networks are using a mix of technology and human moderators in an attempt to weed out predators. To train the automated software used to scan conversations looking for potential predators, Facebook and others are using online chat records of convicted pedophiles to teach the software what to look for.
However, more vigilance and better discovery techniques are needed. High-profile cases have come to light recently that clearly show companies need to invest more into technology and processes to catch potential predators. These cases include a smartphone app called Skout that admitted to having been used by three teenagers who were talking to adults that led to sexual assaults. The problem in that case was that the company wasn't verifying that users of the teen section were under 20, making it easy for predators to access. ..Source.. by Shane McGlaun
July 12, 2012
Catching Sexual Predators on Social Networks Requires Both Humans and Technology
June 26, 2012
Louisiana sex offenders must soon post their status on Facebook
The problem with the Louisiana law is, that it is forcing registrants to post the "Government's Message" about their past conviction. Forcing registrants' to do that MIGHT be OK if it is part of the punishment for the crime itself, but once the sentence is served, that is another story. see Is it constitutional to FORCE sex offender registrants to carry the governments message? It is very likely -if challenged- this new Louisiana law will be considered unconstitutional (like so many other Louisiana laws attacking registrants recently) as to registrants no longer under a sentence.6-26-2012 Louisiana:
Convicted sex offenders and child predators who set up a Facebook or other social networking page will have to post their criminal status in their profile under a Louisiana law that takes effect on August 1.
The measure, proposed by State Representative Jeff Thompson, may be the first such law in the nation. It expands on current state law requiring persons convicted of such crimes as aggravated incest, rape and pornography involving juveniles to disclose their crimes to local police, schools and other entities in the area where they live.
"This revision of the law expands that same notice requirement to a social networking profile page, if you have one," Thompson said.
Under the new law, a convicted sex offender who sets up a social networking page and fails to disclose his or her criminal status on the page faces a felony charge, imprisonment with hard labor for two to 10 years without parole, and a fine of $1,000. A second conviction could bring a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
While most social networking websites include language in their terms-of-use agreements that prohibit convicted sex offenders and child predators from using the sites, Thompson said his bill gives prosecutors a new tool to go after persons who ignore those terms.
"Child predators aren't necessarily good rule-followers in the first place," he said. "We don't want to leave it to Facebook police to go out and check on these individuals."
The law does not specify exactly where the criminal disclosures must appear on a networking page, Thompson said.
Facebook declined to comment on the Louisiana law but referred to its policies that already prohibit convicted sex offenders from using its services.
A federal judge in Louisiana earlier this year struck down a law that barred sex and child predator criminals from using Facebook and other social media on First Amendment grounds after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit challenging the law.
But in his decision, federal Judge Brian Jackson seemed to leave the door open for a revised law, writing that "restrictions that are narrowly tailored to address the specific conduct sought to be proscribed should be pursued."
Lake Charles, Louisiana, criminal defense lawyer Walter Sanchez said the new measure could survive legal scrutiny.
"It doesn't bar the use of the Internet completely," he said. "It is analogous to the notification of school principals, neighbors and so forth, so it may pass constitutional muster."
Sanchez said courts around the country have seen an explosion of Internet cases involving crimes such as possessing or receiving child pornography because "it has become incredibly easy for law enforcement" to track down offenders using IP addresses, online databases and other tools.
"This law is a way of facilitating Facebook's awareness that offenders are using their site," he said.
Thompson said he introduced the law after an incident in which a boy was lured via the Internet by an adult male pretending to be a young female and then was murdered by the man.
Thompson said he worked with criminal justice officials and members of a local Internet Crimes Against Children task force to craft the bill. ..Source.. by Kathy Finn
March 17, 2010
FBI Goes Undercover On Social Networks
3-17-2010 Global:
Investigators may be using fake identities to track criminals online, if a confidential FBI presentation is any indication.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations may use fake identities on social networks to investigate criminal activities, according to a redacted FBI document acquired by digital rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Specifically, the 33-page confidential presentation says undercover operations are helpful for communicating with suspects and targets of crime, gaining access to private information, and mapping social networks. However, the presentation expresses concern that undercover use may be complicated by the court's decision in the trial of Lori Drew, who was acquitted of cyber-bullying a girl who later committed suicide, and that violations of terms of service by not using their own name can render access unauthorized.
The presentation, apparently given in 2009 by computer crime deputy chief John Lynch and trial attorney Jenny Ellickson, informs agents that some information on social networks might be available publicly, some might require undercover operations, and still other information may be acquired through requests from social network companies themselves under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
According to the presentation, Facebook is "often cooperative" with law enforcement emergency requests for information, while MySpace requires law enforcement to provide a search warrant to see private messages less than 181 days old. Twitter, meanwhile, is apparently even less helpful than MySpace, as the presentation notes it has no contact number for law enforcement to call, only retains the last log-in IP address, has no guide for law enforcement, and will not produce data without a warrant or subpoena.
The presentation notes that evidence gathered from social networks can be helpful to reveal personal communication, establish motives and relationships, provide location information, prove and disprove alibis, and establish the existence of a crime or criminal enterprise.
The presentation also details the history and use of social networks worldwide, listing which social networks are popular in which parts of the world and how social networking sites in the United States match up against other heavily visited Web sites. ..Source.. J. Nicholas Hoover, InformationWeek
