The F.B.I. is Following You (on Twitter) and Responding

Micah L. Sifry | May 2, 2009 - 9:24am | 16 comments | Email This!

For a federal agency that has struggled for years to modernize its computer systems, this is pretty impressive, and just a tad worrisome:

Sometime yesterday afternoon, a woman named Liz Thompson posted this tweet: "Roh-oh, looking at an email in my spam folder from Federal Bureau of Investigations saying, "Message from FBI." Dare I delete?"

Not longer after, @FBIPressOffice replied, "@thisfullhouse Yes, you dare.. and report it to our internet crime complaint center: » link to ic3.gov."

Thompson seemed a bit surprised by the interaction, tweeting "They ARE watching," and then, in reply to two friends, "I know, kinda scary ... and wild, right? Aaand, it came in right after my Tweet. Covering up my webcam, just in case :( ."

Obviously, someone in the FBI Press Office is tracking references to the agency on Twitter and has the authority to respond, an echo of efforts in the private sector by companies like JetBlue to be more responsive to immediate complaints or issues raised by consumers. The agency is also using the service to track more serious matters, like this case of an Oklahoma man who was allegedly issuing violent threats around the "tea-bagging" protests a few weeks ago.

[A big tip of the hat to Chuck Thies, for bringing this to my attention.}

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Comments

At least one car insurer is as well...

by StanOlshefski on May 2, 2009 - 6:17pm

I was re-quoting my car insurance last month and I tweeted about the experiences I was having -- good and bad -- including my horrible experience with getting a quote from Allstate.

Sure enough, someone from Allstate @ replied me and help solved my problem.

Excellent PR move ... to bad Allstate's car insurance is three times my current policy.

FBIPressOffice

by france_normandy on May 3, 2009 - 8:49am

Scary? No. To be expected? Yes. Good grief, this Internet thing is kind of OPEN, you know?

Tea Party

by Austin Walne on May 3, 2009 - 11:26pm

They're Tea Party protests. Not "tea-bagging."

Tea Party Protests are protests against excessive government spending by the current and former administrations.

"Tea-bagging" is a sexual term and has nothing at all to do with these protests.

ohh goddd you're so freakin amateur.

by misspokerface on May 4, 2009 - 7:41am

Clearly they are making fun of how "tea party protests" were an ineffective waste of time that the government didn't even turn to look at. Far different from the real tea party protests which were effective and notable - thus these new protests are not even deserving to steal the name.

Wow

by rttech82 on May 4, 2009 - 8:04am

I guess if there was ever a good time to utilize online privacy services, now would be it!

RT
www.anonymity.ru.tc

Idiots...

by FBIatTP on May 4, 2009 - 10:31am

Do you really think the FBI has the time or the manpower to be trolling Twitter JUST to let people know that they should "report" spam. Also, if they were watching EVERYBODY do you think they would break their cover to tell you. Come on grow up people.

"FBI" ≠ FBI

by mrmerlot on May 4, 2009 - 12:55pm

"Obviously, someone in the FBI Press Office is tracking references to the agency on Twitter..."

Are you sure it's actually the FBI? Do you know how easy it is to set up a Twitter account? Do you know how many "official" Twitter accounts...aren't? This is why, as a social media consultant, I highly encourage - at the very least - cybersquatting on every social web site available. You don't want someone spoofing your identity, especially a corporate one.

If the tweet was really sent out as quickly as reported here, I highly doubt it's the actual agency monitoring the tweets...

The FBI AND CIA

by justicefingers on May 4, 2009 - 1:13pm

OH you of little knowledge,

We in the U.K are now in a police state, the authorities know everything about and can track you down to the exact pinpoint of where you are, your mobile phones even if off can pinpoint your location, when you use your bank cards, they know where you are, in the U.K we have cameras on all the motorways, which take your licence number and they know where you are going street cameras can follow you, phones can be tapped, all internet activities are logged , and the authorities have a thing like google, so any given reference to certain items and quotes bring up your ip address
get real its really happening big brother is watching, cant say to much or the black vans watching, my house will be sending a team to bust my door down

Actually

by kkdawson on May 4, 2009 - 5:57pm

I heard they were "Tea Bagging" parties. From what I heard, the people who attended got naked and did many sexul things, including group bagging, bag around the bush, and bag, bag-ball-a-lope. Did I hear wrong? Several friends went and had a great time. To mark the occasion, they had people buy tea bags and send them to the whitehouse! People will do the strangest things!

FBI is watching Tweets?

by Brycom52 on May 4, 2009 - 7:18pm

Since 1992, my motto has been: "Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean everybody isn't out to get me." It wouldn't surprise me if the FBI Counterintelligence Division wasn't watching Twitter and other Social sites for possible terrorist "chatter".
There are private as well as public data mining companies. This does not rise to the level of "eavesdropping", at least not yet. But, if you think these agencies, including the NSA, ("No-Such-Agency") couldn't find out who you are in 5 minutes if they needed to, you living in a dream world. " Carnivore" was put in place by Clinton and Louis Freeh. Nobody has ever said it was discontinued. (BTW-"Carnivore" is a keyword that could trigger a Carnivore investigation of a particular website.).

Personally I would never

by gtc803per on May 8, 2009 - 12:10pm

Personally I would never write anything on Twitter or Facebook that you wouldn't want everyone to hear. But I'm really not sure what to make of all this. One one hand we read about how terrorist groups are very tech-savvy so I guess it makes sense to monitor these things. On the other hand, when does this all become an illegal invasion of privacy? It's only going to get murkier as time--and technology--marches on.

—

Scalp Med

CIA, FBI, FCC

by rmaro on May 22, 2009 - 4:08pm

Big deal for what do any of these agencies actually do? CIA well nothing except spend money and cost us plenty. FBI they as well do absolutely nothing other than spend our money. The FCC bigger joke they cater to the RBOC'S and allow them to violate the law and rules. My faith in this once great country has been shattered and destroyed. No matter how hard you try and get ahead it appears the government holds you back. Where is the America I knew and loved what has happened to our country! Used to be you could get ahead iin America but it has become one pot of vomit. Oh yes they can watch me for all eternity and will see nothing of any interest at all. So please waste more of our precious tax dollars and watch us.

FBI Following us.........

by VickiC123 on May 27, 2009 - 6:14pm

Is there REALLY a problem with the FBI following you people? Are you doing something you shouldn't be doing? Why is it that no one has a problem with the entire world folowing them, which by the way could be murderers and the like, but they have a problem with the people that are out there trying to protect them?

Personally I don't know what all the hype is about Twitter anyway. Are your lives THAT boring that you have to "follow" someone elses? Yes, you too are doing the same thing you're accusing the FBI of doing. People that Twitter need to stop twittering so people WON'T follow them. And you people out there who's lives are so boring you feel the need to follow people around need to get a life.

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FBI refuses use of the system

by apexdromn on June 1, 2009 - 2:44pm

FBI refuses use of the system of tracking developed by own forces behind the correspondence of Internet users known as Carnivore
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But, if you think these

by amymartin on June 3, 2009 - 5:30am

But, if you think these agencies, including the NSA, ("No-Such-Agency") couldn't find out who you are in 5 minutes if they needed to, you living in a dream world.

Regards,

Student of Lorenz University