Many people use their social media platforms to vent, boast, share family news, and connect with friends old and new. Some use their posts to incite reactions or encourage conversation. For the most part, your posts have little impact outside of your personal circle of followers unless, that is, you are facing criminal charges. Under these circumstances, your social media posts could potentially have devastating implications.
Social media activity may be used as evidence in criminal investigations. Depending on the subject matter, they can be used to directly implicate someone in the commission of a crime or, at the very least, damage their credibility.
Law enforcement agencies can use public posts, as well as private posts with the proper warrants, as evidence in their criminal investigation. This includes status updates, photos, and videos. Even posts by other individuals in which the accused is tagged can be used as evidence. Remember, once something is on the internet, it is there forever. This means deleted posts can be recovered and, if relevant, used against you in a criminal case.