Although there are many criminals who commit crime simply for the rush of adrenaline or, perhaps, for the promise of infamy, there are many more criminals who commit crime simply because they don’t think they will get caught. They go to great lengths to make sure they wear a mask and gloves. They go to another city or town to commit crime so they won’t be recognized in order to benefit from the advantage of anonymity. And sometimes, people commit crime simply because they think they have anonymity, so they don’t think there is any way they can get caught.
This attitude (or flaw in human nature) has been exploited on the internet more than—perhaps—any other place and time in human history. The rise of the internet gave us a veil to hide behind as we freely expressed the opinions, views, and desires we always wanted to shout out to the world but were afraid to because of the repercussions in the “real” world. The veil of anonymity gave us the freedom to express ourselves without reservation and not have to deal with the consequences.
The Internet is Not Private Anymore
However, as the internet becomes more ubiquitous (your mom has a Facebook page, for crying out loud), anonymity on the internet is slowly disappearing—even if most people haven’t caught onto this fact.
Essentially, most of the recent legal battles over libelous blog content, controversial Facebook statuses, and vicious tweets have come about because members of society have not yet realized that the internet is no longer the anonymous free for all it once was. It is now a public space and we should start treating it like one.
I always tell people not to post anything on their social media site of choice that they don’t want the whole world knowing. Nothing. And that goes for law enforcement officers as well—especially for law enforcement officers.
The Evolution of Privacy
Ten years ago, officers could only gripe about stupid criminals, incompetent citizens, and bumbling superiors officers in private conversation. Those conversations stayed between friends and co-workers in locker rooms and weekend barbeques. Briefly, there was a time when an officer could air those grievances and opinions on the internet, under the veil of anonymity. But as Bozeman, Mont., Police Officer Cody Anderson recently found out, even shouting out a questionable remark to one’s Facebook “friends” can land you in hot water in the national media. Certainly, Anderson thought that what he was saying was just between himself and his friends, but—let me say this again—the internet is now a public space and we should start treating it like one.
We all need to retrain ourselves to keep those private thoughts to ourselves and only express them in private. You know, like we used to do, just a few years ago. And this is doubly true for law enforcement officers. I know that when you are off duty, you want to be off duty—like any regular citizen—but the public has a hard time separating an officer’s public and private life. Like it or not, law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard (a standard I often wish politicians were held to). And as such, what officers say in public even while off duty, can have heavy implications for their on-duty lives.
A Public Extension of Our Personal Lives
Some departments have taken the threat of the internet to the extreme and discourage officer’s use of social media while off duty, some going as far as trying to ban it. But banning officer’s use of social media is not the answer. The answer lies in explicit training in how to use social media. Once officers understand that the internet, even social media, is not an anonymous free-for-all, and that the internet is a public place, they will behave differently in it.
The difference between an officer who knows the limits of what they can say online and one who doesn’t is the understanding of how the internet functions in public discourse. If we all understand that the internet is a public extension of our personal lives, we will be much more careful about what we say and how we act while in it. Potentially avoiding the messy consequences of being at the middle of a media firestorm as the result of an off-hand tweet.
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Doesn’t take a scientist (computer scientist for that matter) to figure it out. Whenever you present any information in any form or media, you lose control of that information. Whether you present it face-2-face or post it on the Internet, once its out (information), its out. Like we say in Hawaii, “Aloha Oe!” Good-bye! Sayonarra! Adios! Gone!
You can never get it back. So, like our parents told us and their parents before them as well as what we tell our kids, “Think before you open your mouth.”
Here’s some things to think about before opening your mouth (or presenting information – written,verbal, visual:
#1 Why are you providing that information (whatever) it may be;
#2 Who is your intended audience (who are they and where are they);
#3 How much information are your providing;
#4 What is the medium used to provide the information (i.e. face-2-face, Internet, etc.), and finally;
#5 Does the gains outweigh the risks.
This is what I have been presenting to students, parents, teachers, the private business sector, and government.
Now, I present the same to law enforcement.
Ironic, that they (law enforcement) “recommended ” and/or provided cybersafety awareness, but never really thought that it also applies to them.
Mahalos & Happy ThanksGiving!
I am glad that they now are “seeing the light.”
Good thoughts. And good questions to ask yourself before posting information online. Thanks.
Excellent information. The younger generation does not understand the limits of what you can and can’t say on the internet. This brings up some great points!!