If you’re one of the millions of people on a social networking Web site, you should be aware that the U.S. government may use the sites for undercover work. For most law abiding citizens, it won’t matter much, especially if you only add friends that you know.
The Obama administration has considered sending federal police undercover on social-networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.A confidential U.S. Department of Justice presentation (PDF) on social-networking sites made public Tuesday said online undercover work can help agents “communicate with suspects,” “gain access to nonpublic info,” and “map social relationships.”