As he posted a collection of images he shot during the protests that gripped Philadelphia after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Sammy Rivera beseeched his Instagram followers to be careful about what they shared online.
“Photos and video footage of the protests were used to pick out protesters who were then identified and tracked down via their online/social media presence,” he wrote in the caption to his June 26 post, which warned just “how easy it could potentially be for others to be tracked down and arrested or worse.”
Five weeks later, Rivera himself was placed in handcuffs, accused in a case built in part on the photos he shared in that post.
The 23-year-old Port Richmond resident was one of six males charged this week with vandalizing two Pennsylvania State Police squad cars May 30, the first day of unrest in Center City. Each was identified at least in part by postings or associations on their public profiles on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Their cases highlight the extent to which the same social media content that has fueled demonstrations across the country and aided the prosecutions of officers charged with police brutality — including the viral video that led to charges in Floyd’s death — has become a primary resource for law enforcement seeking to track down those responsible for looting and violence....(Read more)
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