Social Media Investigators

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These days, people who don’t have a social media account are the exception, not the rule. Nearly everyone and their grandma are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or any combination of the multitude of social media networks available. The extensive presence of social media in our everyday lives has changed many things about our way of life, from the way we communicate and interact with our friends, meet new people, consume media content to the way the police and PIs conduct investigations.

This has led to the rise of social media investigators, the type of detective people turn to when they want to have someone looked into and investigated. These are some of the most common questions about social media investigators

1.     Will Social Media Investigators Replace Traditional PIs?

There are some who say that social media investigators may even replace old school detectives entirely. However, this isn’t necessarily accurate. Rather than a case of “one or the other”, many private investigators are transitioning into using social media as one of the mediums through which they investigate their targets.

Hiring a PI to do an online investigation on someone means that your detective will use all the tools at their disposal to look into the target of the investigation and social media is simply an extension of the research they are conducting. Most people don’t think too much about what they upload and post to the social media accounts and this provides PIs with information about the target, such as the photos they post, their location, and the people they interact with.

2.     Can Anyone Call Themselves A Social Media Investigator?

Social media investigators are often thought of as the future of private investigations since nearly all PIs rely on information gathered through social media as a part of their overall sleuthing. Aside from the information that is easily accessed even by a regular person, PIs have access to software that is able to gather more data than surface level sweeps, and some forms of software can even circumvent privacy settings.

This is not something that just anyone can do, as professional investigators have the capability to use this type of software to their advantage without violating any laws which would jeopardize and may even invalidate the evidence that is collected.

Following the appropriate protocols when gathering information from social media is essential for preserving the authenticity and validity of the evidence. Amateurs may be able to scroll through a person’s social media accounts and look for information, but only a professional PI can preserve and present the evidence in accordance with the law and rules of the court.

3.     How Useful Are Social Media Investigators?

The data that social media investigators gather can be used in a court of law as supplemental evidence in a client’s case. The information they find can pertain to a number of subjects, and is useful for many different types of cases. Social media evidence such as posts and pictures can be used to demonstrate examples of an individual’s questionable character, to prove and disprove someone’s alibi by using Geotagging, to find and present evidence in adultery divorce cases, or to expose stalkers. Another common social media investigation is companies who want to find out more about potential applicants.

Social media investigators can also work with law enforcement on cases involving criminals who use social networks to reach their victims, such as scammers or pedophiles. An investigator working this type of case needs to have the ability, knowledge and tenacity to use social media to find the needed information efficiently while ensuring the safety of the case.