Social Media and Investigation

By: Hilary Rodela, Lead Digital Content Writer for Taction USA

Billions of people use social media each day, and many use some platforms multiple times per day. How does this impact the investigation?

With so many leads at our fingertips, you can look at two posts on social media and obtain five pieces of information from each.

For instance, one post from Facebook or Instagram can tell you:

-Who posted it

-Who else may know the person who posted it

-When it was posted

-A possible location.

From just these few facts, investigators can look at related profiles, look at a photo for a landmark or street sign, and may be able to gather more leads that way.

Investigators can take screenshots of posts as evidence as well. Social media posts are tangible pieces of evidence that can make or break a case.

Finally, while gathering evidence, it is important to stay organized and to remember where each and every piece came from. It is also important to always investigate ethically and legally, and to adhere to social media policies and laws that have been set in place.

If you have not already utilized social media in an investigation, now is the time!