A new screening tool for investigative and HR professionals
Often an HR company or business will contract third party researchers to do a Social Media search when hiring an individual. Some companies try and keep the search “in house” but often the person tasked with the search is not properly trained and may just be “good” with Facebook. By utilizing this technique one can argue that you are opening yourself or your employer up to liability when a screen is not done properly. Social Media has become a minefield. In recent years, many social justice keyboard warriors have chimed in on hot button topics that could potentially damage your brand or influence the outcome of litigation. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram seem to be the main areas for damaging rhetoric and discourse. Unfortunately, we often live in a reactionary time and incendiary comments do not come to light until its too late.
Recently I attended the Association of British Investigators yearly general meeting in Windsor, England and I had the pleasure of hearing Conflict International’s Roger Bescoby talk about their Conflict Social Media Plus product. This unique search is not like others. For this search platform, the subject is aware of the search and must consent. They must voluntarily enter a portal and provide their account ID and password for each Social Media account they offer. This enables the search to be done within the rules of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and protects both the subject and the research from violating any privacy laws. The robust program then goes in and researches the accounts using a customizable search que. The searches are based on both keywords and behavioral patterns. The results are returned via a confidential report given to both the subject and the requestor. The ability to customize the search is impressive and helps the researcher key on the important facts of the requested search.
The implications and advantages for Human Resource queries are obvious. However, there are several other verticals that can also be considered. Branching off the Human Resource vertical is the KYC vertical or the “Know Your client” vertical. Often when businesses are working on joint ventures, a proper due diligence search of all parties involved should be considered. You must remember however, that each subject must consent to the search.
Another vertical that this product can be used for is for personal injury litigation. This is a good way for a law firm to monitor their own clients for any potential damaging information on Social Media. Routine searches can be done to mitigate potentially damaging content from being available on the internet. The ability to get into a “locked or private” account can not be minimized. A subject may think they are protected because the account is private, but that simply is not true. In the legal community, motion practice can compel an individual to release their credential information. Once there is a court order, the private account must be unsealed.
Another potential gateway is by a subject being “tagged” by an open account or by facial recognition finding the subject on someone else’s page that is not private. This happens all the time and often by the time you find out, it’s too late. The last vertical to be considered in this article are the people who are in the public spotlight through sports or entertainment. This is also a great tool for individuals that are attempting to enter this world as an athlete or entertainer for their career. How many times do we read about a sports figure or actor that said something or was tagged on Social Media before they were famous and it came back to haunt them. This tool allows you the ability to use AI to parse through Social Media and find these entries. Once identified a proper solution can be enacted to limit the damage.
The tool has many benefits but is not perfect. It cannot search instant messenger and is not available for Apps like Signal or Whats App. The tool also will only search for accounts that are disclosed by the subject. Therefore, it is important for a Social Media account search to be done. This is a good way to instruct the subject to disclose all accounts. The cost of the search is also affordable and makes it possible to search on a regular basis to monitor an account. As all investigative tools, this should not be considered a stand-alone product. It should be used in concert with other search tools and open-source Investigative tools (OSINT).
This product is provided exclusively through our partnership with Conflict International. The product is proprietary, but we have the ability to white label any report with your company’s logo and letterhead. This research should be considered by any investigative professional, HR team or corporate hiring professional. There is a fiduciary duty to provide concise due diligence when doing research for legal or HR matters.
Contact us today to learn more and get a sense of exactly what Conflict Social Media Plus can do to help your Investigation or HR Screening process.
Matthew Spaier is the President of Satellite Investigations in New York City, NY and is the President of the Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State. He is also the Vice President of Business Development for Conflict International. Matthew hosts PI-Perspectives podcast and is the owner of Investigators-Toolbox.com
