SOCIAL MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS

Avery & Associates conducts social media investigations for governmental agencies, private employers, and concerned parents who want to safeguard their children against online bullying, online predators (trafficking) and other risks.

We utilize a full-featured, cloud-based platform that incorporates advanced machine learning for text and image content analysis. We analyze up to 10 years of public posts from a subjects Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit.

A social media investigation is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information from social media platforms to uncover facts or patterns relevant to a legal, private, or corporate investigation. This type of investigation can be conducted for various reasons, such as background checks, legal cases, employment screening, fraud detection, risks assessment, and more. Here's what it typically involves:

1. Objectives:

• Background Check: To gather information about an individual's history, character, and affiliations.

• Legal Cases: To find evidence relevant to criminal or civil cases, including family law matters.
  
• Fraud Detection: To uncover deceptive activities or false claims, such as in workers' compensation cases.
  
• Intellectual Property Cases: To detect infringement or misuse of copyrighted or trademarked material.
  
• Identify Potential Risk Factors: To identify potential risks to the subject or child.

2. Platforms Investigated:

Mainstream Social Networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit.

3. Process:

Data Collection: Gathering all publicly available data from the subject's social media profiles.

Content Analysis: Analyzing posts of text, images, and videos for any relevant information.

Behavioral Analysis: Observing patterns, interactions, and activities that may indicate particular behaviors or actions.

Correlation and Contextualization: Linking data points to construct a comprehensive view of the subject's online presence.

4. Challenges:

Privacy Laws: Ensuring all investigations comply with local and international privacy laws and regulations.

Data Volume: Handling the vast amount of information that social media accounts can hold.
Accuracy: Verifying the relevance and truthfulness of the data collected.
Ethics: Maintaining ethical standards in what information should be collected and how it is used.

5. Technological Assistance:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): To automate the collection and initial analysis of data.
Machine Learning (ML): For advanced pattern recognition and anomaly detection.
Cloud-Based Platforms: To store and process large datasets efficiently.

6. Outcome / Reporting:

A comprehensive report that provides insights into the individual's online behavior, associations, and potentially relevant activities, and risk factors.

7. Use Cases:

Juror Vetting: To uncover biases or conflicts of interest.
Custody Cases: To demonstrate the character and lifestyle of a parent.
Divorces: To find evidence of infidelity or hidden assets.
Criminal Trials: To establish motives or associations with criminal activities, and criminal gangs.

Protection of Children

Social media investigations can be highly complex, as they require a nuanced understanding of social dynamics online, as well as the technical skills to extract and interpret data correctly. Moreover, they must be conducted within the bounds of the law to ensure any evidence gathered is admissible in court or applicable in a corporate setting.