Logos of U.S. social media Facebook and Twitter.
The large social media platform Facebook is providing the FBI with data on its users involved in the January 6 Capitol Hill incident, including their private information. A New York resident has received an FBI warrant for his arrest as a result.
According to a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday (Jan. 20) against New York resident Christopher Kelly, the FBI has issued a search warrant for his Facebook account.
The FBI wants more personal information about Kelly, including links to his IP address, phone number and Gmail email, after getting Facebook posts and images containing Kelly’s alleged involvement in the Capitol Hill incident earlier this month, according to Forbes, a U.S. business magazine.
The report said Kelly’s Facebook message showed that his brother is a retired police officer and that the two of them were planning to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6.
In a Facebook post, Kelly wrote, “I will be with former NYPD officers and some Proud Boys. This will be one of the most historic events of my Life.” He also warned another Facebook user to be safe at the Washington event and to watch out for the far-left group Antifa.
On Jan. 6, Kelly posted a private message on Facebook saying, “Tear gas, police, interrupted hearing, they all went to the basement.”
Facebook also provided the FBI with an IP address log that showed Kelly passing through Silver Spring, Maryland, on his way from New York City to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.
The report also said the FBI has issued a warrant for Kelly’s arrest, but there is no indication that Kelly has been arrested.
Parler, a conservative social media outlet, was taken down by Apple, Google and other tech giants for allegedly containing “threats of violence” and “threats of illegal activity. However, there is now growing evidence that Facebook, Twitter and other platforms also contain statements that “help organize protests.
According to Forbes, shortly after the congressional riots, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that the riots were organized on “fringe sites. But that’s not the case, according to the Justice Department’s criminal complaint. The Justice Department alleges that the protesters communicated on Facebook, agreed on their plans to travel to Washington, D.C., and posted about their participation in the Capitol Hill rally.
Recent Comments