The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in America use fake identities on social networks to investigate criminal activities. According to a redacted FBI document. Undercover operations are helpful for communicating with suspects. However, the document expresses concert that undercover use may be complicated by the court's decision.
In general, the document, a presentation from the FBI's computer crime and intellectual property section, details how federal agents should gather and use evidence found on social networks.
The presentation, 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 need some undercover operations.
According to the presentation, Facebook is often cooperative, 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.
