The Hidden Risks of DIY Social Media Research
Did you know that whenever you view someone’s LinkedIn profile, that person often gets a notification? Other social media platforms—like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok—have similar features. If you’re not aware of this, your well-intentioned DIY social media research could expose your company to significant legal and ethical risks.
How You May Be Tipping Off Your Subject
When an internal administrator investigates a subject’s online presence, the risks go far beyond simple notifications. Even just viewing someone’s profile can reveal the investigator’s name, employer, and title. Worse, some researchers escalate to questionable practices like sending friend or connection requests—or, in extreme cases, creating fake profiles to access private content.
These tactics are not only unethical but can alert the subject, who may quickly delete or alter critical evidence. Once the subject is aware of the investigation, the window for collecting useful, authentic evidence often slams shut.
Why Social Media Platforms Work Against You
Social media platforms are sophisticated data engines, constantly collecting and cross-referencing user behavior. For example, if an administrator casually browses a subject’s Facebook photos, Facebook’s algorithm may conclude they know each other—prompting a “People You May Know” suggestion. Suddenly, the subject sees the administrator’s profile pop up and becomes suspicious.
We’ve seen real cases where this scenario backfires: The subject consults an attorney, scrubs incriminating posts, and the legal team is left empty-handed—or worse, facing claims of unethical conduct. All from an unwise search that produced no usable evidence.
How SMI Aware Protects Your Case
At SMI Aware, we’ve specialized in ethical, legally defensible online investigations since 2011. Our expert analysts use proprietary technology and proven methodologies to collect social media evidence without tipping off your subject.
We don’t take shortcuts. We don’t risk your case. And we certainly don’t rely on what someone read in an online blog.
If you want to see a real example of the reports we deliver—and learn how we can help protect and strengthen your case—visit our website.
Don’t DIY your social media research. Get in touch with our experts for support with your next eDiscovery project.
