These days it seems that there is an app for everything under the sun. But this time the app will not be used by you and I, but by the FBI. It appears that the FBI wants to get it on the app craze too and use the technology to target bad guys. The bureau's Strategic Information and Operations Center has invited companies to submit proposals to create a social-network monitoring system for the FBI. What exactly does that mean?
Well, it means that the FBI wants to learn more about suspects that they're monitoring, (and identify unknown suspects) by following people's social-networking activities. Legally, it's a touchy proposition bound to be tested by privacy advocates in court - if the app ever does come to fruition.
Among other things (the request for proposals is 12-pages long), the FBI wants the future app to have the capability to automatically search Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites; automatically translate foreign-language Twitter tweets into English; and plot both domestic and international terror data. The FBI also specifies that the app should include complex mapping capabilities that will allow agents to display threat levels and color-code them to show high- and low-priority threats.
By having the ability to monitor suspect's "friends" and view their postings and photos, the FBI potentially could generate a valuable cache of intelligence. The FBI's main motivation is to monitor social-networking sites to identifying trends, and then analyzing those trends to predict potential crimes or terrorism acts. Proposals from potential software app developers are being accepted through February 10, 2012.
Obviously this is an extremely controversial development which leave many people wondering whether it is really legal or not for a government agency to access your private Facebook data. With some people entering all of their private information via daily Facebook updates (we can write a book about their life just by reading their FB updates), it begs the question of whether this is an invasion of privacy for people who are wrongfully targeted by the FBI, or that happen to befriend a suspected terrorist by mistake via random friend requests (which are received all of the time). If this app goes into production, it will surely make Facebook and Twitter users reassess their friend lists, and many will only accept friend request and follow people they truly know. On the other hand, others would argue that if you have nothing to hide there is no reason to panic about the government monitoring your Facebook activity.
Well, it means that the FBI wants to learn more about suspects that they're monitoring, (and identify unknown suspects) by following people's social-networking activities. Legally, it's a touchy proposition bound to be tested by privacy advocates in court - if the app ever does come to fruition.
Among other things (the request for proposals is 12-pages long), the FBI wants the future app to have the capability to automatically search Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites; automatically translate foreign-language Twitter tweets into English; and plot both domestic and international terror data. The FBI also specifies that the app should include complex mapping capabilities that will allow agents to display threat levels and color-code them to show high- and low-priority threats.
By having the ability to monitor suspect's "friends" and view their postings and photos, the FBI potentially could generate a valuable cache of intelligence. The FBI's main motivation is to monitor social-networking sites to identifying trends, and then analyzing those trends to predict potential crimes or terrorism acts. Proposals from potential software app developers are being accepted through February 10, 2012.
Obviously this is an extremely controversial development which leave many people wondering whether it is really legal or not for a government agency to access your private Facebook data. With some people entering all of their private information via daily Facebook updates (we can write a book about their life just by reading their FB updates), it begs the question of whether this is an invasion of privacy for people who are wrongfully targeted by the FBI, or that happen to befriend a suspected terrorist by mistake via random friend requests (which are received all of the time). If this app goes into production, it will surely make Facebook and Twitter users reassess their friend lists, and many will only accept friend request and follow people they truly know. On the other hand, others would argue that if you have nothing to hide there is no reason to panic about the government monitoring your Facebook activity.
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