Can a Facebook Photo Lead to Arrest

The increasing popularity of social media has given rise to increased media coverage of arrests based on little more than photographs posted on a profile. Given that social media is nearly unavoidable, it is important to understand the possible legal effects your social media profile can have.

How Can Photos Get Me In Trouble?

Photographs serve as powerful evidence in a court of law. Because of social media’s wide sphere of influence, photographs posted to the internet matter even more. In order for police to arrest you, they must have probable cause. Photographs that provide evidence of wrongdoing can, in some cases, be sufficient to provide police with probable cause for an arrest. For example, if a photograph shows an individual engaged in unlawful activity such as drug use or facilitating underage drinking, the police may use that photograph as the basis to obtain a search warrant.

How Do Photos Posted to Facebook Differ?

Photos posted to Facebook can be even more damaging than regular photographs because of their public availability. In order to use a photograph as evidence, police must first lawfully obtain that photograph. On Facebook, many users freely post large quantities of photos depicting a wide variety of activities. While it may seem harmless, the user is in fact making those pictures public for many, including the police, to obtain. This can be curtailed with proper usage of the privacy settings built in to Facebook, but those settings change frequently, and often with very little notice.

Protect Yourself Online and Contact the Khonsari Law Group

If you or someone you know has need of legal counsel because of activity depicted online, do not delay in seeking help. Contact attorneys you can trust. At the Khonsari Law Group, we have dedicated and experienced attorneys who understand the unique challenges of defending our clients in the digital era. Call today for a free consultation and discover why KLG is the right choice.

Rohom Khonsari

Lawyer

Mr. Khonsari founded and is principal/partner of the Khonsari Law Group. With experience in both criminal and civil law, Mr. Khonsari built the law firm with the standard of doing everything possible for each and every client. With over forty jury trials, he has used his trial advocacy in successfully representing clients charged in criminal court and also those who have cases in the civil realm.

Author's Bio