You're not hiding as much as you think

Lately we have discussed different ways any person can hide his or her identity behind a virtual mask. Many people carefully edit online profiles to display a personality that may or may not be their actual personality. They could be doing this for fun, curiosity, or to fool others. Sure, you may post pictures of yourself purposefully so that a certain person will see them, but it is surprising how many other people will see those photos -- and who those people are.
Since their openings, such networking sites as Facebook and Myspace have brought about many arrests, punishments, and expulsions in numerous towns, schools, and groups. Police and investigators have had an easy time finding criminals via postings on sites like these. Many times, people have shown photos of themselves participating in illegal activity, practically inviting a prosecution. During the summer before my senior year in high school, a friend of mine was expelled because a parent found a picture of him holding a gun, which he could not legally own.
A couple years back, churches in Alabama were being burnt to the ground. Police would not have been able to apprehend the criminals had the criminals not had a public discussion on Facebook about the activities. It is said that police are not allowed to search Facebook with the intention of looking for any discussion of misdeeds, but can use profiles to investigate after a complaint. It is incredible how easily anyone’s personal information can be seen or stolen. Just a few days ago, a friend of mine sent me an instant message telling me exactly the IP address, model of computer, operating system, and version of firefox I was using. For years, federal investigators have used false identities on Myspace to lure and capture “cyber stalkers.”
Just like those “cyber stalkers” found out that their would-be victim was a law enforcement officer, those people fooled into believing in a false personality will eventually meet the face behind the mask.