NYPD Releases Social Media Guidelines

U.S. Customs Commissioner Raymond Kelly discusses FY2001 budget issues with House Appropriations Committee. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The NYPD recently released a set of guidelines for using social media during investigations. The memo, according to NY Daily News, was issued by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and allows officers involved in social media to use aliases and a department-issued laptop. Scouring the Internet can tip-off police to possible threats, or even give cops an advantage in conducting undercover work. However, Christopher Dunn, legal director for the NY Civil Liberties Union thinks that police use of Internet could cause issues. He said, “We worry about the ease with the police can use deceit on the Internet to monitor private communications. Police infiltration of social media should be closely regulated.”

Jethro Eisenstein, a lawyer who issued the decree about how police investigate political activity, believes that using an alias defies his guidelines. The police has defended its use of the Internet, saying the information gathered comes from public sources.

NY Daily News