Schneier on Security

HJohn • October 19, 2009 10:55 AM

There are all sorts of ways this can be used. Create an imaginary friend. Stop at a library in St. Louis and update your status that you are heading to visit your friend Bob. Then reply to your status with the imaginary friend Bob's account saying "see you tomorrow!" Then have a made up address in Detroit under Bob's information (perhaps an actually address of a Bob in detroit you found on whitepages.com).

Meanwhile you get in your car and head south instead of north.

HJohn • October 19, 2009 12:50 PM

@: It's easy to say "so dumb," and it would be true, but what's interesting is how people just don't think through the privacy implications of putting their information on the Internet.
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One of my best friend's, just in February, used Facebook information in his divorce. His wife made him leave and changed the locks, and she was trying to leverage for as much money and assets as possible (we know this can get nasty). She removed my friend from her Facebook, yet didn't realize she had her information set to "Friends of Friends" on who can view, and they still had mutual friends.

She denied there was someone else fearing it may hurt her case for money, yet he had her Facebook statuses where her new boyfriend moved in just days after she kicked her husband out, where they celebrated their 2 or 3 "month anniversary" a month after her husband was kicked out, etc. There was messages with friends where she said her husband was good to her, she just fell for another guy, etc. It also proved her trips to see her sick father before the separation were really getaways with the boyfriend.

I still find it amazing how people suffer a mental block when using computers. Otherwise intelligent people create a paper trail (or should I say paperless trail) of things they don't want others to know.

HJohn • October 19, 2009 1:29 PM

@dylan38: "Right - because you can't get in trouble for impersonating a federal officer. Oh, wait..."
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If it is the fugitive posing as one of his own friends to see if he is on the radar, he probably wouldn't be worried about it. After all, he's already a fugitive.

HJohn • October 20, 2009 10:07 AM

@pfogg: "Facebook was leaking contact information was an important consideration he very foolishly overlooked, but his belief that the 'private' flag on Facebook was at least semi-private was apparently true -- someone inside the privacy wall had to turn on him."
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That really isn't new, it just looks that way based on technology. The authorities have always solicited friends, neighbors, etc, to give up information on someone they were pursuing. This includes any conversations (and possibly phone numbers) or post marks on mail.

HJohn • October 21, 2009 1:35 PM

@Andrew: "Lawyers are using facebook friends lists to track down subpoena targets."
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Not surprising. They still would have to go through due process and present a case for the subpeona, but it's nothing new. If a Facebook status indicates Bob was staying with Fred in Detroit during the time of a crime, Bob would likely be asked to confirm or refute the claim. I doubt they would pursue a subpeona just because someone was on their friends list, and doubt even more it would stick if they did.