As we all know, social media is a powerful force in today's society. The evolution of social media over the years has also led to its increasing use in law enforcement. For this week's discussion board, you are going to discuss your views of social media as it relates to criminal investigations. As a minimum, I would like you to consider and comment on the following topics: Should Law Enforcement be allowed to utilize covert social media accounts to monitor criminal activity? 

Should open source/public social media accounts be allowed as evidence in court without any restrictions? If social media data from a private account is obtained via a search warrant, should that be allowed in court as evidence without any restrictions? 

Should social media companies be required by law to preserve data and turn data over to Law Enforcement? 

How should Law Enforcement deal with companies that are based in other countries and therefore are not bound by U.S. laws?