The U.S. State Department is proposing to increase its efforts in monitoring social media sites by asking software developers to create multilingual tools that can perform “deep analysis of topics, conversations, networks, and influencers of the global social Web.”
The government believes that close inspection of social sites will “more effectively engage with foreign populations and track conversations in the wider world.”
Related efforts have already been in the works. For example, the State Department recently launched the trial run of a social media game that offers public users cash rewards for identifying criminals.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Social Networking/Media Capability program monitors online activity to gather awareness of individuals’ behavior.
“In addition, the FBI is working to persuade Facebook, Google and other Internet companies to make their sites friendly to wiretapping,” reports Mobiledia. “Bureau agents argue the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, originally passed to permit phone tapping, should extend to social media sites as well.”
The article notes that it seems ironic these initiatives come from the same administration that recently criticized Syria for shutting down social media sites in an attempt to quiet dissidents.
“This prevents people from speaking their minds,” said Ginger McCall of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “It quells dissent.”
The U.S. State Department is proposing to increase its efforts in monitoring social media sites by asking software developers to create multilingual tools that can perform “deep analysis of topics, conversations, networks, and influencers of the global social Web.”
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