Facebook Warns Police No More Fake Accounts in Violation of ToS

Facebook has a problem: an infestation of undercover cops. Despite the social platform’s explicit rules that the use of fake profiles by anyone—police included—is a violation of terms of service, the issue proliferates. While the scope is difficult to measure, EFF has identified scores of agencies who maintain policies that explicitly flaunt these rules.

This summer, the criminal justice news outlet The Appeal reported on an alarming detail revealed in a civil rights lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Tennessee against the Memphis Police Department. The lawsuit uncovered evidence that the police used what they referred to as a “Bob Smith” account to befriend and gather intelligence on activists. Following the report, EFF contacted Facebook, which deactivated that account. Facebook has since identified and deactivated six other fake accounts managed by Memphis police that were previously unknown.

In a letter to Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings dated Sept. 19, Facebook’s legal staff demands that the agency “cease all activities on Facebook that involve the use of fake accounts or impersonation of others.”  (EFF, September 24, 2018)
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The Social Media and Tactical Considerations for Law Enforcement discusses how police agencies may use social media for intelligence collection and investigations.

Police agencies aren't the only ones to use fake social media profiles. For example, the Army has admitted to anonymously spying on e-mail listservs of political activists in order to assess their perceived threat to Army operations.  And the new Army JARVISS system uses advanced analytic algorithms and commercial analysts to provide users with threat information originating from over 80,000 open sources including social media.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A FAKE USER ACCOUNT ON FACEBOOK.

* Account was made recently 2017, 2018.

* Account has no history published for earlier years, but Facebook says they have been a member since 2009, etc.

* Most fake accounts have 1 image or no real profile photo of the person. Some may only have a select few photos over a long span of time. A well seasoned user would have more photos posted over a long period of time. A fake account may have 7-10 photos posted on the same day.

* User has very few friends in common and or friends in general. There is little to no interaction on their page with friends, no comments, likes or responses over their long time line.

* Profile picture seems to good to be true, that hot model added you today! They even messaged you and are interested in you!

* When in doubt use reverse image search. Take their image and see if it is a real person or not.

  

 

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 

Military personnel deployed to a combat area, their supporting contractors overseas, government civilian employees overseas, non-government organizations (NGOs), journalists working on international stories, businesses attempting to establish a foothold in developing countries, and individual travelers to remote areas of the world can all find themselves in hostile and non-permissive environments. This guide covers a broad range of subjects that are intended to aid individuals, living and working in dangerous areas, in being safer in their daily lives and in being better able to protect themselves and survive in case of an emergency, disaster, or hostile action.