FBI steps up social media tracking

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is actively seeking developers to code a platform capable of monitoring social networks for threats.

The FBI is currently seeking input from devs on what is essentially a web alert system, which the bureau has officially dubbed the “FBI Social Media Application.”

According to a 12-page document posted online, the program would have “[the ability] to rapidly assemble critical open source information and intelligence … to quickly vet, identify and geo-locate breaking events, incidents and emerging threats.”

Fox News asked former FBI agent  Mike German to review the above-mentioned proposal.

According to German, information pulled from social networks could be cross-referenced with other databases to identify potential threats, with the bureau stepping up its targeted surveillance accordingly.

The FBI told Fox,”[We] will not focus on specific persons or protected groups, but on words that relate to ‘events’ and ‘crisis’ and activities constituting violations of federal criminal law or threats to national security. Examples of these words will include lockdown, bomb, suspicious package, white powder, active shoot, school lockdown, etc.”