By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 19th, 2015
An intelligence fusion center in Colorado has quietly issued a bulletin intended “to help law enforcement officers and military personnel to minimize their social media footprint and protect their identity and family.”
The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) paper was released in December. Media sources found the bulletin posted on the Johnson City, Tennessee Police Department website.
We at find it ironic that at the very moment in which government officials are demanding an unprecedented – and unconstitutional – knowledge about U.S. citizens and residents, they are calling for greater secrecy regarding their own activities…
Below, the Spark offers essential quotes from the CIAC bulletin:
“The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) is disseminating this awareness bulletin to help law enforcement officers and military personnel to minimize their social media footprint and protect their identity and family.
“Recent calls for attacks against law enforcement officers by foreign terrorist organizations and recent reports released by the U.S. Senate Select Intelligence Committee’s report on the CIA’s Detention Interrogation Program may exacerbate tensions or even spark violence against officers, intelligence personnel, government officials, and their families.
“This awareness bulletin seeks to make general recommendations to limit an individual’s digital footprint and diminish a violent actor’s targeting capability.
- It is recommended that officers and officials remove, limit, or otherwise abolish any online material that may reference themselves or other individuals as representatives of law enforcement agencies.
- It is recommended that any media such as photos or videos of an individual on the job as a law enforcement officer, intelligence person, or government official associated with law enforcement be removed or hidden.
- It is recommended that any postings in internet forums be limited as to what agency the individual is associated with and be carefully examined to determine if any identifying information such as an email address or phone number are available.
Privacy Settings
“One solution is to limit access to personal accounts on social media sites to only those you trust. For example, the officer, military service member, and/or family members can enact Facebook privacy controls relatively easily. […]”
Removing Information From Background Check Websites
“The major background check websites have different requirements for a user to completely remove their information from publicly purchasable databases. Each site must be visited individually and each individual process followed. The site may require proof of identity in the form of a state issued ID or driver’s license. In this case, black out all information other than your name, address, and date of birth. Only give each site the minimum amount of information required to identify you.
Voter Registration
“Eliminating your name from voter registration rolls is also a potential way to limit personal information that can be collected relatively easily. Per Colorado Revised Statute…, an elector may request his or her voter registration address be confidential.
“The procedure for address confidentiality is as follows: contact the county clerk in the county of residence, complete a voter confidentiality form and pay a $5 fee. The elector must use the application provided by the Secretary of State and include his or her name, address, and birth date on the application.
County Assessor’s Offices
“Any individual who owns real property in the state of Colorado is registered with that county’s assessor who values the home for tax reasons. The assessor’s database is publicly searchable by address, plot number, or tax reference number and gives the owners’ name and some details about the home. In some cases, law enforcement officers and officials can have their information removed from public disclosure.”
