Facebook tells Los Angeles Police Department to stop spying on their users with fake accounts – TheLiberal.ie – Our News, Your Views

Facebook tells Los Angeles Police Department to stop spying on their users with fake accounts




Facebook wrote to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) asking them to stop creating fake profiles to monitor its users.

It came after The Guardian newspaper announced that US police were working with a tech company to analyse user data in order to solve crimes.

Facebook expressly prohibits the creation and use of fake accounts.

According to the BBC:
“Not only do LAPD instructional documents use Facebook as an explicit example in advising officers to set up fake social media accounts, but documents also indicate that LAPD policies simply allow officers to create fake accounts for ‘online investigative activity’,” wrote Facebook’s vice president and deputy general counsel for civil rights Roy Austin in a letter outlining Facebook’s policies.

“While the legitimacy of such policies may be up to the LAPD, officers must abide by Facebook’s policies when creating accounts on our services. The Police Department should cease all activities on Facebook that involve the use of fake accounts, impersonation of others, and collection of data for surveillance purposes.”

 

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