Using social media for investigations #ipiwoco

The final session of the afternoon is about using social media for investigative journalism.

Will update for the next hour. Class being taught by Gunter Bartsch @guebartsch.

To start investigating someone who is not a Facebook friend, being suggested that we set up a made up account and attempt to befriend. Obviously the recipient will not be responsive. However, Facebook will then reveal all friends of the target’s friends.

Massive hole in Facebook! One of many. Tell your friends to lock down their settings.

Now searching to put a link to a photo and name on Facebook. I would normally do this via TinEye but the teacher is suggesting Google image search. I guess either will do but the problem with stock libraries is much more present in Google I find.

Scenario now is to find employees or people who live near a power plant, by using Facebook.

Change your language settings to English US and then the fuller Facebook search will work.

Moving onto Twitter. First example is The Guardian’s 2010 crowdsourcing of deportation arrest.