Catfishing Capitol rioters? There s a dating app for that
After the attack on the Capitol in Washington, DC, some Americans have made it their mission to identify the perpetrators by matching with them on dating apps.
Social media platforms have long facilitated the detective work of online dating. Wondering whether the guy you ve been chatting with on Bumble really looks like his profile picture? Just search for his Instagram profile! All that Tinder talk about his career sound too good to be true? Check LinkedIn!
In the wake of the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, users of dating apps have put those investigative skills to good use. They are adjusting the settings on their dating profiles to pick up members of the violent mob and then pass their findings on to the FBI.
Bumble, Tinder and others are freezing out rioters with help from law enforcement and, in some cases, their own photos. Others on the apps have taken matters into their own hands by striking up conversations with potential rioters, then relaying their information to the FBI.
Bumble, Tinder and others are freezing out rioters with help from law enforcement and, in some cases, their own photos. Others on the apps have taken matters into their own hands by striking up conversations with potential rioters, then relaying their information to the FBI.
Originally published on January 18, 2021 4:08 pm
Civil liberties advocates are warning that the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol could lead to new police and surveillance powers. If history is a guide, they say, those tools could be used against Blacks and other people of color in the justice system, not the white rioters who stormed Congress.
Albert Fox Cahn watched in horror last week as rioters beat and shoved their way into the U.S. Capitol. The civil rights lawyer said the images made him angry. You know, in that moment, I myself felt that same anger, that I want to catch these guys after seeing what they did to our Capitol, Cahn said. And that anger, that frustration, that desire for justice, can lead us to very dangerous places.