Social networking actions lead to crimes, but is it anything new?

A disagreement over a Facebook relationship status recently ended with gunshots being fired into the air outside a Georgia Waffle House. In February, a husband and wife unfriending someone on Facebook ended with that person's father shooting the couple.

As these events happen, they get a great deal of news coverage. The stories are somewhat unique as they involve a specific element that hasn't existed before. They seem to demonize social networking websites as the cause of such evil, but is that really fair? Relationships and friendships have always had highs and lows despite technology. The only thing different today is that those changes can be easily broadcast to hundreds or thousands of your closest friends.

The question is whether social networking is creating new issues. Would the couple mentioned above still be alive if the friendship had just faded without such a conclusive end? Is the nature of Facebook changing our emotions and reactions? Or would these same people have wound up feuding as a result of a telegram or letter sent by carrier pigeon? My fear is that social networking is making these types of interactions more common. What are your thoughts?

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Pew Internet report outlines teen SNS usage, cyberbullying activity

A Pew Internet study released today on teen usage of social networking sites (SNS) addresses online behavior and privacy and security concerns. Highlights among the study include:

• 25% of teens have had an experience on an SNS site that resulted in a face to face argument or confrontation with someone
• Nearly 70% witness cruelty to others online at least "every once in a while"
• Teens from lower-income households are much less likely to witness cruelty on SNS sites
• 44% of teens admit to lying about their age in order to access a website (COPPA requires a child to be 13 or older to register for a website without parental permission directly to the company.)
• 17% of teens admit that their SNS profiles are fully public
• 16% of teens have received sexually suggestive photos on an SNS site from someone they know
• 77% of parents monitor their child's online activity (up from 65% in 2006)

The entire study is 86 pages and is an excellent source of information. Thanks to Pew Research for another great contribution to this field.

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SNS printout authentication attempt struck down

In State v. Eleck, 23 A.3d 818 (Conn. App. Ct. 2011), the defense sought admission of a Facebook messaging conversation between the defendant and a witness for the prosecution. The witness admitted that the messages were sent to her account, but she was not the author. Rather, her account had been hacked. The defendant claims that he was removed as the witness's Facebook friend days later, but the witness claims she still did not have access to her account. Ultimately, the trial court found that the messages were not properly authenticated and were thus inadmissible.

The appellate court affirmed, finding that there was not enough circumstantial evidence to authenticate the printout. Citing a variety of cases from other states (the issue was one of first impression for the court), the court essentially made it impossible to admit any evidence from an Internet source without an admission from the author.

Barring discovery and financial issues, here are some ways it possibly could have been authenticated:

• Internet cache connecting the postings to the witness's computer. (Commonwealth v. Purdy, 945 N.E.2d 372 (Mass. 2011))
• Facebook representative testimony connecting the messages to witness's IP address at the time. Griffin v. State, 2011 Md. LEXIS 226 (2011)
• Unique information others would not have been aware of. (Commonwealth v. Purdy, 945 N.E.2d 372 (Mass. 2011); Commonwealth v. Amaral, 78 Mass. App. Ct. 671 (2011))

UPDATE: The Connecticut Supreme Court has since granted defendant's appeal with regard to this issue (302 Conn. 945 (2011)).

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