Washington, DC police surveil social media profiles
Documents obtained under a FOIA request show that Washington, DC police have for years used online surveillance tools to monitor social media activity, collect data on individual users and their social graphs, and monitor public protests. The police departments using these techniques offer little transparency. The documents reveal, however, the claims companies like Dataminr and Voyager make in marketing their technology to police - for example, to be able to compile a list of thought leaders by analysing social media posts or identify people who could help a criminal investigation by searching an arrestee's social media networks.
Publication: Brennan Center for Justice
Writer: Ivey Dyson, Yeshi Milner, and Helen Griffiths
Publication date: 2024-04-30