Contents
How Police Track Critics on Twitter and Facebook
How do police track Twitter and Facebook accounts of political opponents? The answer is complex. Experts doubt that large databases of such data can be used to make decisions. However, a recent study by the Brennan Center shows that the police can gather nearly 2 million tweets during the trial of LAPD chief Michel Moore. The software captured both mainstream news articles and private civilian opinions. It also flagged tweets from celebrities such as Common, who spoke out against racism in America. However, the Brennan Center report isn’t the end of the discussion.
Edge NPD
A new law enforcement company called Edge NPD is working to help the LAPD use social media to monitor political content. The company has a massive budget, and they’re currently trialing their service with a dozen local police departments, including Los Angeles. On the same subject : How to Get Verified on Twitter in 2022. They claim to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze posts, but how exactly does Edge NPD do that? The company’s website does not reveal the final keyword list, but claims that it can identify people who may be making threats.
In its report, the Brennan Center for Justice reported on the Edge NPD’s work, which involved monitoring the social media activities of hundreds of thousands of users. The firm used a system called “dashboards” to track tens of thousands of tweets on topics related to the LAPD. The agency’s data set included tweets related to the Black Lives Matter movement, protests against the police, and American policing. It also monitored tweets by prominent Black activists outside of LA and by private citizens advocating for reforms.
Geofeedia
How police track critics on Twitter and Facebook using Geofeedia is a controversial topic that has dominated social media in recent months. Facebook and Twitter have blocked Geofeedia from using their data for commercial purposes, but the company has yet to respond to CBC’s requests for comment. Privacy experts have said that police should not have access to such data. Nonetheless, the company is a valuable tool for crime prevention and social media intelligence.
The technology enables the monitoring of posts that relate to specific locations. The program is particularly useful for police, and Chicago has made it available to law enforcement. See the article : How Much Was Twitter Sold For?. But since it can potentially impact communities of color, the ACLU has called for more transparency in these kinds of practices. But it’s unclear whether the data used by Geofeedia will be made public by Facebook or Instagram.
Injustice Watch
Researchers have uncovered a new database that tracks police officers’ social media activity. Their data show the police officers’ posts about minorities, race, and religion. And it’s not just minorities who are being targeted. Several police officers have also used social media to slander their critics. This may interest you : Here’s What Twitter is Saying About the Knicks-76ers Game. The Plain View Project compiled data on the public activities of police officers from eight different departments. They found that many police officers posted offensive content and used dehumanizing language to mock minority groups and Mexicans. Several of the officers’ posts included photos of a man wearing a scarf in the crosshairs of a gun.
In addition to targeting Chinese nationals, Chinese authorities also pursue minor critics living overseas and foreign nationals. The Washington Post reported on a state media software programme that mines social media to find content on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Uighurs. Interestingly, the Chinese police even commissioned a unit to compile a data report on negative content spread on Twitter by Chinese citizens. The database has the potential to help police identify a large group of dissidents online.
Dataminr
This article originally stated that Twitter had a stake in the company Dataminr. While Twitter did confirm to the Senate Intelligence Committee that it did hold a stake in the company, this ownership ended in November of 2017. Dataminr did not respond to a request for comment. The company continues to sell surveillance tools to police departments and local governments, including through its “First Alerts” news product.
While the documents do not specify their clients, they do list them as “law enforcement footprint” partners. These include the NYPD, LAPD, Chicago Police Department, Louisiana State Police, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPD confirmed that it has a link with the company but said the tool is only used for trial purposes. Other agencies did not respond to requests for comment. Dataminr also contracts with the FBI for firehose alerts, but did not provide details on the scope of their relationship with police.
Philadelphia police
How do Philadelphia police monitor their critics’ social media accounts? PhillyVoice recently investigated and found that two police officers had posted inappropriate comments on Facebook. Despite the fact that the comments could be read by others, only half of the posts would result in any departmental discipline. Two of the three individuals were known to the officer who had posted the comments. Philadelphia police chiefs are investigating these posts and have issued guidelines for officers to follow the social media rules.
While a handful of posts were posted on Facebook, some showed a bias against police. One of the police officers, Ondarza, was named in a civil lawsuit filed in 2017. The motorist claimed that the officer caused her to fracture her ankle during a traffic stop. The department commissioned an internal investigation into the complaint, but the motorist filed a lawsuit against the city. The lawsuit was settled out of court and Ondarza has since changed his profile picture to a beaten criminal suspect. The department is now investigating the possibility of tracking officers on Twitter and Facebook.
