Social media has revolutionized how people communicate and interact with one another. The Homeland Security Department has increasingly relied on data collected from social media platforms to shape its policy, raising questions about the possibility of privacy rights violations.
The increased formal and informal use of social media has triggered the Homeland Security agencies’ interest in monitoring the interactions and their potential to threaten national security. While Homeland Security agencies must collect data on social media to quell potential security threats, there is a need to address data privacy concerns to increase accountability and transparency.
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The effectiveness of social media as intended by its developers does not arise since it enables social interaction and cultural empowerment and supports trade and business. It only arises upon introducing the potential of social media to be used to disrupt national security. Since the phrase “social media intelligence” was coined in 2012, it has dominated intelligence departments, the most notable being the Homeland Security Department. For high grades, always consider custom term paper writing services.
In 2011, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria used Twitter. Other terrorist-affiliated entities, such as the Al-Shabaab and Daesh, have also used social media to mobilize and communicate. Putter and Henrico (2022) also posit that social media has seen the successful organization of extremist movements and protests around the globe, such as the Arab Spring Revolution, #FeesMustFall, and Occupy Wall Street protests. The research established that although security intelligence agencies can rely on social media for intelligence, there is a need for an elaborate legislative framework to ensure that individual data rights are not infringed.
Law enforcement agencies must undergo training to understand how to use the collected data. For instance, they can use the leads from a social media post to obtain a search warrant, which helps them obtain more information. Security agencies cannot collect data from encrypted social media accounts without the author’s consent. However, they can rely on openly available data for prosecutorial evidence.
Encrypted content in social media requires them to obtain search warrants. Information drawn from social media can also help law enforcement agencies identify complicit criminals and their hideouts. Security agencies also have social media pages to obtain volunteered information from the public, which often leads to arrests or further investigations, according to BBC. Therefore, social media is a critical source of intelligence that can be used to combat crime.
Security agencies prefer social media intelligence due to its relevance and cost-effectiveness. The Danish tax system and insurance companies have used social media intelligence to unearth fraudulent activities. Cambridge Analytica used social media to influence the US Presidential elections. Although it infringed on citizens’ privacy rights, Cambridge Analytica showed the potential of social media to generate intelligence. Intelligence and security agencies globally have tried intercepting public and private interactions to collect data. The question, however, is: Does private data stop being private when shared via social media platforms? Always consider to Pay for research paper for high-quality coursework essays and papers.
Although private, all data shared through social media is tracked and stored without the control of users. Sharing data about a user with an unauthorized third party could harm the user. Besides exposing their privacy and exposing them to possible security threats, it is unethical. Security agencies can always obtain this information from the companies managing these sites if they believe it could help with their investigations.
Security departments do not understand the privacy concerns of citizens when sourcing data from social media. However, people are concerned that security agencies could use data for ulterior motives. Ethical concerns about data misuse were first raised with Facebook in 2006. Through a feature called “News Feed,” Facebook shared personal data about users without consent to their connections on the app. However, it changed it after users raised ethical concerns about the feature.
Despite the significance of social media data collection in helping security intelligence agencies enhance security, credible data privacy concerns continue to be raised. Open-source intelligence is one of the most effective strategies to collect, process, and corroborate publicly available data. The analysis of such data provides security institutions with credible information on a timely basis, which makes it an essential approach to fighting crime, corruption, and digital fraud. Such data can also provide situational awareness, aid investigative research, and support journalism focused on fraudulent exposure. For dissertations services, you may buy dissertation online.
The power of open-source intelligence is further enhanced when it considers social media metadata through social media intelligence. Privacy can be described as an individual’s right to control information about themselves and determine who can access that data and when they can access it. Although intelligence agencies have widespread acceptance of social media collection, there is a need to formulate a policy framework to ensure that the data privacy rights of social media users are not infringed upon. Social media interaction has undoubtedly replaced face-to-face interactions.
Law enforcement agencies’ interest in social media-informed intelligence has increased over the last two decades. Some of the approaches law enforcement agencies use include scanning social media profiles for posts and connecting such posts to criminal activities. Security agencies also have social media pages to obtain volunteered information from the public, which often leads to arrests or further investigations. Also see: How to Write an Impressive Term Paper: A Comprehensive Guide.
Intelligence and security agencies globally have tried intercepting public and private interactions to collect data. Most security agencies did not understand the privacy concerns of citizens when sourcing data from social media. Even if they have a search warrant to examine an individual’s posts on social media but they often exceed their limits, which is unethical.
