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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 4 september 2019

U.S. plans for fake social media run afoul of Facebook rules

Such a review of social me- view publicly available on the social media sites
dia would be conducted social media available to and can only passively re-
by officers in the agency’s all users on the platform view information, accord-
Fraud Detection and Na- — they cannot “friend” or ing to the DHS document.
tional Security Directorate “follow” an individual — While lots of social media
on cases flagged as requir- and must undergo annual activity can be viewed
ing more investigation. The training. without an account, many
privacy assessment notes The officers are also not al- platforms limit access with-
that officers can only re- lowed to interact with users out one.q

In this Aug. 11, 2019, file photo an iPhone displays the apps for
Facebook and Messenger in New Orleans.
Associated Press
By TAMI ABDOLLAH Friday that U.S. Citizenship
Associated Press and Immigration Services
WASHINGTON (AP) — Face- had authorized its officers
book said Tuesday that the to use fake social media
U.S. Department of Home- accounts in a reversal of a
land Security would be vio- previous ban on the prac-
lating the company’s rules tice. Homeland Security ex-
if agents create fake pro- plained the change to the
files to monitor the social AP in a statement Friday,
media of foreigners seek- stating that fake accounts
ing to enter the country. would make it easier for
“Law enforcement authori- agents reviewing visa,
ties, like everyone else, are green card and citizenship
required to use their real applications to search for
names on Facebook and fraud or security threats.
we make this policy clear,” The department didn’t pro-
Facebook spokeswoman vide comment when asked
Sarah Pollack told The As- Tuesday. The plan would
sociated Press in a state- also be a violation of Twit-
ment Tuesday. “Operating ter’s rules. Twitter said Fri-
fake accounts is not al- day that it’s still reviewing
lowed, and we will act on the new Homeland Secu-
any violating accounts.” rity practice. It did not pro-
Pollack said the company vide further comment.
has communicated its con- The change in policy was
cerns and its policies on preceded by other steps
the use of fake accounts taken by the State Depart-
to DHS. She said the com- ment, which began requir-
pany will shut down fake ing applicants for U.S. visas
accounts, including those to submit their social media
belonging to undercover usernames this past June, a
law enforcement, when vast expansion of the Trump
they are reported. administration’s enhanced
The company’s statement screening of potential im-
followed the AP’s report migrants and visitors.