The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) collected the social media details of every citizen it interviewed, including people who had not been arrested or accused of a crime.

Thousands of documents obtained by non-profit organisation The Brennan Center for Justice revealed that LAPD officers must record a civilian’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media accounts on 'field interview cards', alongside basic biographical information.

In a memo, LAPD police chief Michael Moore said interview cards would be reviewed by supervisors to ensure they are complete, so that they could later be used in 'investigations, arrests, and prosecutions'.

The findings raised concerns about civil rights and mass surveillance without justification, as well as potential privacy abuse. The LAPD told the Guardian that the field interview card policy was being updated, but 'declined to provide further details.'

The documents had come to light after the LAPD refused to hand over documents in a records request filed by The Brennan Center and was sued.

Research, advocacy 🧮

• https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/lapd-social-media-monitoring-documents

• https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/2020-12-08%20First%20Amended%20Complaint.pdf

• https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/20200130%20LA%20SMM%20CPRA%20Request_0.pdf

Freedom of information requests 💡

• City of Los Angeles Public Records Request 20-719

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/08/revealed-los-angeles-police-officers-gathering-social-media

• https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/571399-lapd-officers-instructed-to-get-social-media-data-on-every

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9970801/LAPD-orders-officers-collect-social-media-civilian-interview-not-arrested.html

• https://www.dailydot.com/debug/lapd-collect-social-media-civilians/

• https://news.yahoo.com/lapds-mass-collection-social-media-202536192.html

• https://gizmodo.com/the-lapds-spy-tactics-detailed-in-over-6-000-pages-of-n-1847639084

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-lapd-built-collecting-social-media-info-into-its-interview-process-for-civilians/ar-AAOeMZ6