Federal investigators in Detroit have taken the rare step of obtaining search warrants that give them access to Facebook accounts of suspected criminals. The warrants let investigators view photographs, email addresses, cellphone numbers, lists of friends who might double as partners in crime, and see GPS locations that could help disprove alibis. Information gleaned from the Internet raises constitutional and evidentiary issues that must be considered, including privacy and the right against unreasonable searches and seizures, said Chief U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen, who also is an evidence professor at Wayne State University. Evidence obtained from the Internet and social media sites also raises issues about whether the information can be authenticated, he said. \"The Internet is the next frontier for the development of Fourth Amendment law,\" Rosen said, referring to the amendment protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures.

http://detnews.com/article/20110425/BIZ04/104250338/Federal-investigators-in-Detroit-mine-Facebook-for-crime-info#ixzz1KXKYfCeA
http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_bbd23382-6ecf-11e0-aeef-001a4bcf6878.html