Business Tools Blog

If you are wondering about privacy on Facebook, this event may scare you straight.

When Andrew Poole, a coach driver from Exeter, Devon, UK invited 17 guests via his Facebook account to an ”all-night” affair in case his guests wanted to stay the night he had no idea that his account was being monitored by police.  Under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Police are granted powers to remove persons attending or preparing for a “rave” (defined as playing amplified music “wholly or predominantly characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats,” during the night).

How does a BBQ in a field with 17 friends turn into a police raid. First, a police helicopter circles the field several times. Then four police cars and a riot van storm into the field and eight officers wearing camouflage trousers and body armor order the party to be shut down or everyone would be arrested.

Poole describes the police raid: It had started to rain so we had gone in under the gazebo. All of a sudden there was this noise in the sky - I honestly couldn’t believe it. The thing then hovered over us for about 25 minutes, watching 15 people eat. They told us to take down the sound system and said everybody’s got to leave. It was 4pm and we hadn’t even plugged the music in yet. We tried to reason with them, and even offered for them to take the power lead for the sound system, but they were having none of it.  It was on private land. We were nowhere near anyone. We weren’t even playing any music. What effectively the police did was come in and stop fifteen people eating burgers.

This is an extreme example, but one that is worth noting.  Anything posted on Facebook can be used against you … no matter how innocent.  Choose your words and posts wisely.