Social media has had an impact on the process service industry – just like almost every other part of life! Tech-savvy process servers can use social media to gather a wealth of information about their intended recipients. In this post, we discuss the types of information freely available via social media, unethical practices for process servers on social media, and the push towards allowing process service via social media as a national norm.
An Online Treasure Trove
The amount of information available online about any given person is amazing, and social media gives you an even more in-depth look into a person’s interests, affiliations, hobbies, and more.
For people who allow their profile information on social media sites to be viewed by the public, you can freely browse through their posts, friend lists, recent check-ins, likes, hobbies, affiliations, upcoming events, and more!
Some social media sites are geared more towards personal or work life. For example, LinkedIn focuses on work-related content while Facebook and Instagram are typically used for personal connections. Using a variety of different websites to gather information is the best way to get a full picture of the person you are looking for.
Finally, the photos that you can find of people on social media are much more updated and informative than anything you’ll usually get with a service request. Social media photos will offer views of your target from different angles, in diverse environments, and wearing various outfits. They can also give you an idea of the person’s fashion style, which can actually provide hints as to places that the person may frequent.
Unethical Social Media Behavior by Process Servers
Social media can offer more than just photos and comments – it can also provide a direct way to communicate with the intended recipients of process! While the advantages of this are obvious, irreputable process servers may view it as a way to trick people into revealing their identities or locations. For example, consider an evasive process recipient who is active on Facebook and is friends with many young, attractive women. A process server may be inspired to create a fake profile using photos of a model to “friend” and communicate with the process recipient, perhaps arranging a meetup. As enticing as this may sound, it is considered unethical to be dishonest with anyone about the process server’s identity while attempting to serve process, even if the process recipient is obviously avoiding you. This type of deceitful behavior can cause trouble down the road if the process recipient tries to claim improper service.
Service by Social Media
Information gathering isn’t the only way social media is affecting process service; at least two states have actually allowed service via social media in cases where the defendant was intentionally evading in-person service but was proven to be active on social media!
However, there are many hurdles to overcome before this practice becomes mainstream. Identification and privacy issues are two of the largest obstacles. In order to satisfy the requirements for service of process, the prosecution must prove beyond any doubt that the social media account actually belongs to the person being sought. With no real identity verification for general users on most social media sites, this could prove quite challenging. And, if sensitive court information is sent to the wrong account, then privacy issues abound. Until more stringent identification verification measures are taken en masse on social media sites, defendants will surely claim that social media accounts in question simply do not belong to them.
However, once these initial issues are solved, social media may prove to be an excellent means for communicating important court information to persons who are otherwise unable, or unwilling, to receive process in person or via other means.
Process Service in Ocala
No matter what direction Florida takes in relation to service of process via social media, the team at Accurate Serve® will always be updated with the latest information, ensuring that all of the process we serve is 100% legally compliant! Don’t trust your firm’s case process to anyone other than the expert team at Accurate Serve® of Ocala, Clermont, Inverness, Spring Hill, and The Villages. Send us to work requests online to get started today!
