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Q&A
NYPD's social media monitoring practices and policies
2:57:20
ยท
147 sec
Council Member Stevens inquires about NYPD's social media monitoring practices, focusing on how accounts are identified, reviewed, and what policies govern this online monitoring. NYPD officials explain their approach to reviewing public-facing social media accounts as part of criminal investigations.
- NYPD officials clarify that they primarily look at public-facing social media accounts
- The department uses social media reviews as part of criminal investigations and gang activity monitoring
- Stevens expresses concern about the lack of specific policies governing social media monitoring
Althea V. Stevens
2:57:20
So my question is, how does the NYPD conduct social media reviews?
2:57:25
Because that's I know that was one of the criteria.
2:57:27
How are those specific accounts identified and reviewed, and what policies govern this online monitoring?
Michael Gerber
2:57:33
Right.
2:57:34
So so we're talking about public facing accounts.
Althea V. Stevens
2:57:37
Mhmm.
Michael Gerber
2:57:39
That go up in a number of ways.
2:57:40
Right?
2:57:41
I mean, sometimes it will be detectives who are investigating a particular crew.
2:57:45
Right?
2:57:45
And as part of that investigation, yes, they are gonna look at social media posts from individuals who are involved in crew activity.
2:57:54
FIOs, field intelligence officers, again, looking at crews or gangs in a particular precinct.
Althea V. Stevens
2:58:00
No.
2:58:01
But I'm asking how were they identified and, like, do you have any policies that's governing how this is monitored, what this is like?
2:58:07
I'm asking
Yusef Salaam
2:58:08
for Well,
Michael Gerber
2:58:08
we have we have we have very strict rules.
2:58:10
We have all sorts of rules in terms of if we have, for example I don't think that's not what you're referring to.
2:58:14
Like an undercover.
2:58:15
That's one thing.
2:58:16
But in terms of in terms of the ability of as part of a criminal investigation to look at public facing social media posts, that's just part of what it means to conduct an investigation.
2:58:29
If you are looking at particular individuals as part of criminal criminal organization, you're gonna take various steps.
2:58:35
One of them is gonna be to look at what social media posts they may or may not have.
Michael LiPetri
2:58:39
And and the the URL and the actual post has to be put in the into the criminal group database for it to be activate, you know, for it to stay in there and be ok'd by the supervisor.
Althea V. Stevens
2:58:52
But I'm asking just around social media because I again, you know, I think we as as that is is growing, I have bills on social media around things, how things need to be monitored and things like that.
2:59:02
And I'm talking about even on the parental side and and young people and I'm asking, do you guys have like a policy around this on how it should be governed?
2:59:08
What does it look like?
2:59:09
Or or is that's not something you've done?
2:59:11
This is okay to say no because that's something we could work on.
Michael Gerber
2:59:13
No.
2:59:13
No.
2:59:14
And I I just wanna be clear.
2:59:15
There are certain areas, for example, undercover activity or, for example, anything that went into, say, like, political activity, we got all sorts of rules, handshoe.
2:59:23
I'm just saying that when it comes to, you know, if it's if we're not talking about undercover activity, we're talking about political activity, we're talking about sort of your run of the mill sort of criminal investigation, I'm not sure what what rules you're really kind of what what you're envisioning.
2:59:37
I I would expect we would expect detectives as part of that work to look at public facing social media posts.
Michael LiPetri
2:59:44
And and if it's not public, then we get a subpoena.