By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Should law enforcement have the right to conduct an investigation by using photos and other personal information to create a fake Facebook page in a real person’s name?
The Justice Department said Tuesday it will examine the after Sondra Arquiett in Watertown, N.Y., filed a lawsuit that claims the DEA used photos, including one of her in a bra and underwear, and other information from her cellphone to create the fake account, the Washington Post reports. The information was gathered during a 2010 arrest for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
In hopes of finding others involved in the alleged drug ring, police set up the fake account.
The DEA also posted photos of her children.
“The allegations in this case are shocking,” said Mariko Hirose, staff attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union. “This case illustrates the importance of digital privacy and identity, and the possibility of abuse when law enforcement is able to access the trove of personal information that we store in our devices.”
