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Facebook To DEA: Stop Using Phony Profiles To Nab Criminals
HughPickens.com writes: CNNMoney reports that Facebook has sent a letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration demanding that agents stop impersonating users on the social network. "The DEA's deceptive actions... threaten the integrity of our community," Facebook chief security officer Joe Sullivan wrote to DEA head Michele Leonhart. "Using Facebook to impersonate others abuses that trust and makes people feel less safe and secure when using our service." Facebook's letter comes on the heels of reports that the DEA impersonated a young woman on Facebook to communicate with suspected criminals, and the Department of Justice argued that they had the right to do so. Facebook contends that their terms and Community Standards — which the DEA agent had to acknowledge and agree to when registering for a Facebook account — expressly prohibit the creation and use of fake accounts. "Isn't this the definition of identity theft?" says privacy researcher Runa Sandvik. The DEA has declined to comment and referred all questions to the Justice Department, which has not returned CNNMoney's calls.
Nope. It's identity eminent domain.
Much in the same way regular theft by the government is called civil asset forfeiture...
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
Sadly, it doesn't work that way.
In their view, they're allowed to break any law they need to to do their job. But if anybody else breaks any law, they can and will use that to achieve their goal.
So, when Schwartz does it, they can trump up the charge to make something stick. When the DEA does it, it's business as usual.
In other words, the law as applied to us little people is not the same as applied to law enforcement. Because they, in their minds, are above the law.
Welcome to the dystopian future, where laws exist only at the whim of those who enforce it, and only apply to those who don't.
Law enforcement is above the law. That they'll abuse it all they want is kind of inevitable.
Which means you should assume that all forms of law enforcement will become completely corrupt and out of control -- like happens in every other banana republic in which the police decide what is legal.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
It's time we all sit back and remember the first rule of dealing with cops. They do not have any obligation to tell you the truth. The courts give them a pass because criminals lie.
Note: if you lie to the police, the odds are good that you will be charged, because lying to the police is a crime.
The honesty street is one way.
--AC