Facebook Community Standards specifically state "claiming to be another person... undermines community and violates Facebook's terms." One DEA agent overlooked that clause and a woman's privacy in his ambitious attempt to capture drug dealers.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Timothy Sinnigen created a Facebook account in the name of Sondra Prince, now Sondra Arquiett, without her knowledge, according to Buzzfeed News. He used photos from her seized cell phone that included pictures of her scantily dressed and her young son. The Justice Department claims Sinnigen had every right to create the account.
"Defendants admit that Plaintiff did not give express permission for the use of photographs contained on her phone on an undercover Facebook page, but state the Plaintiff implicitly consented by granting access to the information stored in her cell phone and by consenting to the use of that information to aid in an ongoing criminal investigations [sic]," the court filing reads.
Law enforcement arrested Arquiett in July 2010 and accused her of "participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine," according to Buzzfeed News. She pled guilty in February 2011 and received probation because the court deemed her only a "bit player" in the drug ring.
Sinnigen created the Facebook page while Arquiett awaited trail. He used her real name, posted the photos and sent a friend request to one known drug dealer. The account remained active up until BuzzFeed News published their report on Oct. 6, but a Facebook search on Oct. 7 did not bring up any results for the page.
Arquiett became aware of the Facebook page when friends asked her about the pictures posted on the account. She's now suing the U.S. Government and Sinnigen for violating her privacy and placing her in danger.
"Ms. Arquiett never intended for any of the pictures on her phone to be displayed publicly, let alone on Facebook, which has more than 800 million active users," her attorney Kimberly Zimmer wrote in the motion addressing sentencing, according to BuzzFeed News.
"More disturbing than the fact that the DEA Agents posted a picture of her in her underwear and bra is the fact that the DEA agents posted a picture of her young son and young niece in connection with that Facebook account, which the DEA agents later claim was used for legitimate law enforcement purposes, that is, to have contact with individuals involved in narcotics distribution."
