LAPD Spied on Citizens Using Fake Social Media Accounts
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The spying software was never fully adopted by the department, but it spent nearly two years trying to develop a formal relationship with tech firm Voyager Labs.
The Los Angeles Police Department seems intent on intruding on the citizens it serves. The department trialed software from analytics firm Voyager Labs that allowed officers to create fake social media accounts to monitor people and predict who would be likely to commit future crimes, according to public records obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice and shared with The Guardian. According to the documents, the technology used for the program would be “traceless,” meaning social media services would not know the LAPD was behind certain accounts—a violation of Facebook’s policy on fake profiles. The trial period lasted through November 2019, though the department spent nearly two years trying to finalize a formal partnership. An LAPD spokesperson told the outlet it does not currently use any software from Voyager.
