The next friend request you receive might come from the FBI.
The Obama administration has considered sending federal police undercover on social-networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
A confidential U.S. Department of Justice presentation (PDF) on social-networking sites made public Tuesday said online undercover work can help agents "communicate with suspects," "gain access to nonpublic info," and "map social relationships."
Federal police agencies organized under the Justice Department include the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The 33-page presentation noted that Twitter has a "stated policy of producing data only in response to legal process," while saying Facebook is "often cooperative with emergency requests."...
