6: Social Media Questions

what are the different forms of social media?

• blogs, micro blogs, web forums, social bookmarking sites, social networking sites, media sharing sites, wiki, virtual world content sites

what are some problems with social media?

• social media algorithms → echo chambers

• fake news

• children

why does law enforcement use social media?

• protect and monitor communities

• receive tips from citizens

• deliver emergency instructions

• provide traffic updates

• promote special community events

• ask for aid in search of missing people

• identify criminals (e.g., stanley cup riots)

what are some investigative challenges online?

• many people with the same name

• can only look through private accounts unless there is a warrant

• less familiar with tools

• all evidence must be collected according to specific standards (e.g., website content must be captured so it’s stable)

how might criminals use social media?

• communicate securely with end to end encryption

• find victims and targets

• conceal activities

• gang members use for intimidation, commit fraud, recruit members

describe like farming and facebook cloning

• like farming: getting a post popular and either putting malware in it, linking to promotional content, selling the account, or use FB dev tools to collect data on the people who liked it

• facebook cloning: cloning a real account using OSINT and sending spam with malware to friends, asking for money, etc.

how might terrorists/extremists use social media? what are some benefits of using the internet? what are some examples?

• propaganda, training videos, recruitment, fundraising, targeting

• benefits: mass dissemination of info, relative anonymity, uncensored media outlet, establish credibility, low risk of exposure of members, cultivate home grown terrorists

• example: stormfront, the incel forum, extremist subreddits