FBI, Fb may conflict over privateness vs. monitoring

The FBI is in search of outdoors contractors to observe social media for potential threats, organising a doable battle with Fb and different firms over privateness.

Final month, the FBI mentioned it’s soliciting proposals for a social media “early alerting software” so as to establish doable threats whereas ensuring that privateness and civil liberties issues are taken into consideration. Such a software would possible violate the businesses’ ban in opposition to utilizing their knowledge for surveillance.

The contract solicitation and the potential conflict was first reported by The Wall Road Journal on Thursday. It was posted earlier than the latest mass shootings as soon as once more prompted requires social media firms to do extra to detect such threats.

Fb declined to remark. Twitter additionally would not touch upon the report however pointed to its insurance policies prohibiting the usage of its knowledge for surveillance functions, even when such knowledge is public.