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Facebook friend turns into Big Brother

Schweddy

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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Adam Bauer has nearly 400 friends on Facebook. He got an offer for a new one about a month ago. “She was a good-looking girl. I usually don’t accept friends I don’t know, but I randomly accepted this one for some reason,” the 19-year-old said.

He thinks that led to his invitation to come down to the La Crosse police station, where an officer laid out photos from Facebook of Bauer holding a beer — and then ticketed him for underage drinking.

The police report said Bauer admitted drinking, which he denies. But he did plead no contest in municipal court Wednesday and will pay a $227 fine.

He was among at least eight people who said Wednesday they had been cited for underage drinking based on photos on social networking sites.

“I just can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a science fiction movie, like they are always watching. When does it end?” Bauer said after court Wednesday.

Social networking sites are among many new tools law enforcement has adopted to

find underage drinkers, said La Crosse police officer Al Iverson, who works in alcohol compliance and education.
More here: Facebook friend turns into Big Brother

WTF!?

Is it ok for the police to use facebook and other social websites to *enforce* the law? I think this is a privacy issue.

What do you think?
 
It's his fault for friending someone he didn't know. The police did nothing illegal here.
 
Although it is a privacy issue, it's within the law enforcement's power to do so. There're certain things that just shouldn't be posted on Facebook; I don't think this is one of them tho.
 
I dont think the cops did anything illegal, but I would think that they have better things to do than bust an under age drinker, using a pic on his Facebook page as evidence.
 
WTF!?

Is it ok for the police to use facebook and other social websites to *enforce* the law? I think this is a privacy issue.

What do you think?

I think that the net is a nebulous territory in terms of legal boundaries, application of our bill of rights, ownership of intellectual property, privacy, etc.

In this particular case, the kid may as well have put a billboard up that says "hey, I'm an underage drinker". I think it's a ****ty way for the cops to spend their time. It's not like they caught him in the act or he created any kind of harm or disturbance at the time he was drinking or they would have caught him then. I think this goes against the idea that law enforcement is about public safety and starts to reinforce this idea that law enforcement is about playing "gotcha" games with peaceful citizens.

So, in the end, no I don't think this is right at all.
 
WTF!?

Is it ok for the police to use facebook and other social websites to *enforce* the law? I think this is a privacy issue.

What do you think?

The crime was commited in the country, facebook proves physical evidence of these claims. Why not?

You need to ask HOW the police got their hands on it in the first place. If its legit, nothing is being breached here, apart from the law on your part.
 
The crime was commited in the country, facebook proves physical evidence of these claims. Why not?

Because it's a giant waste of time that serves no purpose whatsoever.
 
Because it's a giant waste of time that serves no purpose whatsoever.

Why is it a waste of time and why does it not serve any purpose?

If somebody reports an indivisual who is smoking weed, or taking some kind of drug that clearly violates the law, and can provide these claims via pictures from facebook, i see very little evidence to suggest using Facebook is a waste of time and "serves no purpose", if thats what you meant.
 
Why is it a waste of time and why does it not serve any purpose?

If somebody reports an indivisual who is smoking weed, or taking some kind of drug that clearly violates the law, and can provide these claims via pictures from facebook, i see very little evidence to suggest using Facebook is a waste of time and "serves no purpose", if thats what you meant.

I think that by utilizing these methods (Facebook), the police become judge and jury thus pissing on our 4th amendment of undo search. The probable cause "because we can" should *not* be good enough.

I could careless what crime was committed. The police violated a more egregious one - ignoring our constitution.
 
Its interesting:

As a lawyer, it is a violation of our ethics to befriend someone on facebook for the purpose of obtaining personal information about them.

However, law enforcement is allowed to lie, deceive, falsify evidence in order to obtain a confession etc.....and it is all within legal and ethical bounds.

There definitely is a double standard...but sometimes you have to take the high road.
 
I think that by utilizing these methods (Facebook), the police become judge and jury thus pissing on our 4th amendment of undo search. The probable cause "because we can" should *not* be good enough.

So if there is picture evidence on facebook of you commiting a crime, it shouldnt be used in a court as evidence material? How does that make the police the judge?
You constitution isnt even upheld by your own President, let alone a police officer :)
 
I think that by utilizing these methods (Facebook), the police become judge and jury thus pissing on our 4th amendment of undo search. The probable cause "because we can" should *not* be good enough.

I could careless what crime was committed. The police violated a more egregious one - ignoring our constitution.

That's how I see it. It's like they did an end run around the unlawful search and seizures clause. Further, police action should not be a matter of throwing a fishing net out onto the web and hoping you catch something. It should be a matter of investigation because there was a vested interested in uncovering criminal activity such a disturbance of the peace, harm to other citizens, damage to the state, etc.
 
So if there is picture evidence on facebook of you commiting a crime, it shouldnt be used in a court as evidence material?
Court is a different matter. There should have been a WARRANT to sign up on his page to be able to use it as evidence. Here, they obviously are ignoring that process. You know, due course.

How does that make the police the judge?
They decided he was guilty by pictures. When the guy could have been drinking anything.

You constitution isn't even upheld by your own President, let alone a police officer :)
Sadly, you are correct.
 
Court is a different matter. There should have been a WARRANT to sign up on his page to be able to use it as evidence. Here, they obviously are ignoring that process. You know, due course.

Seriously, a warrant, to befriend him on facebook? I mean the guy is pratically inviting a stranger to see the information anyway because he has to accept the request. :confused:

They decided he was guilty by pictures. When the guy could have been drinking anything.

True but the decision will lie with the courts not the police.
 
WTF!?

Is it ok for the police to use facebook and other social websites to *enforce* the law? I think this is a privacy issue.

What do you think?
Sounds like the officer had way too much time on his hands, but whatever I don't really care.
 
WTF!?

Is it ok for the police to use facebook and other social websites to *enforce* the law? I think this is a privacy issue.

What do you think?

I think what they did was pretty dam clever but its wasted on a non-issue like underage drinking. Its a shame they don't apply these skills to going after real criminals.
 
Seriously? Can you elaborate?

Yes. It is a violation of the rules of professional responsibility to "befriend" a person on social networking sites in order to obtain information about that person or any other person to be used in a court proceeding.

Just last month I attended a seminar where there was a session on the ethics involved in sites such as facebook, twitter, myspace etc.

You can be disbarred or at least sanctioned if you violate this rule.
 
Why is it a waste of time and why does it not serve any purpose?

What did the police accomplish by ticketing this student? It's not like he's going to stop drinking now, and it's not like they stopped him from doing anything harmful.

So, what did it accomplish? Aren't there more important things for the police to do?

If somebody reports an indivisual who is smoking weed, or taking some kind of drug that clearly violates the law, and can provide these claims via pictures from facebook, i see very little evidence to suggest using Facebook is a waste of time and "serves no purpose", if thats what you meant.

I juat smoked some marijuana like five seconds ago and I'm not hurting anyone. I'm just sitting here, posting on an internet forum; same thing happens all the time with beer. Why do I deserve to be harassed?
 
It's his fault for friending someone he didn't know. The police did nothing illegal here.

Other than busting minor law infractions which pose to threat to anyone else. I'm sure they could be out investigating something instead. And if not, and all they really have to do is sit on facebook trying to bust minors for drinking; then I say the police department has too many people there and they need to fire a few officers. Why should the public spend more money on officers not doing anything to positively affect their safety and wellbeing?
 
What did the police accomplish by ticketing this student? It's not like he's going to stop drinking now, and it's not like they stopped him from doing anything harmful.

So, what did it accomplish? Aren't there more important things for the police to do?

Whats their to accomplish for arresting anyone breaking the law? He broke the law, the officer enforced it. Thats what they are there for, right?



I juat smoked some marijuana like five seconds ago and I'm not hurting anyone. I'm just sitting here, posting on an internet forum; same thing happens all the time with beer. Why do I deserve to be harassed?

Because you broke the law?

Forget the fact it shouldnt be a law in the first damn place, no changing the fact you broke it.
 
Whats their to accomplish for arresting anyone breaking the law? He broke the law, the officer enforced it. Thats what they are there for, right?

Not all laws need to be enforced this vigourosly, especially when other laws supercede underaged drinking in terms of enforcement priority. Every second this officer spent on Facebook could have been put to better use serving the public.

Police officers are supposed to be members of their community; this one was acting more like an overly invasive stranger.

Because you broke the law?

Forget the fact it shouldnt be a law in the first damn place, no changing the fact you broke it.

But how does it serve the public interest? The police don't HAVE to enforce that law, they simply choose to. Proponents of legal realism would maintain that the law is what officials do about it, so what interest is served in the enforcement of that law?
 
Attention internet users: sometimes stuff is open to the public once you post it. Deal with it, and act responsibly when possible. I'm getting a little tired of how surprised people are about how open the internet really is.

That being said, this was pretty lame and hell, perhaps improper use of police authority.
 
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He should have gotten a lawyer. A good one would say they can't prove it was beer, or that it wasn't non-alcoholic beer.
 
WTF!?

Is it ok for the police to use facebook and other social websites to *enforce* the law? I think this is a privacy issue.

What do you think?

**** those cops.

Cops near Universities are the absolute worst. Spend all their time busting underage drinkers. The ones near mine set up a checkpoint outside the library parking lot. It was the most ridiculous waste of money I've ever seen.

Why bother driving to the library if you are drunk....

Jesus.
 
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