FACEBOOK STATUS AND THE IMPERFECT ALIBI

Rodney Bradford is a lucky guy. Charged with committing a robbery in Brooklyn last November, Bradford was freed when his lawyer proved that Bradford's Facebook status updated a minute before the robbery began. The computer that sent the update was in Harlem. Since Bradford didn't display the ability to be in two places at the same time, prosecutors dropped the charges.

But here's the kicker: There are several ways Bradford could have updated his Facebook status and have it appear that he was at home the whole time. Before I go on, I should add that based upon what I know of the case, I think he was innocent. But I also think his case sets a dangerous precedent -- a clever person could now orchestrate a crime and create a virtual alibi.

While I don't believe Bradford was involved in the robbery, I also know the evidence that led to the prosecutors dropping the charges wasn't adequate (assuming media reports from papers like the New York Post are telling the whole story). If the Facebook status update was the clincher, that's bad news.

Here are a few ways someone could update his or her Facebook status while simultaneously committing a crime across town:

1. Have someone else log in and write the update. This is the least technical method. Enlist the help of an accomplice to write your update for you. Split the loot when you get back.
2. Use a service like LogMeIn or GoToMyPC to access your own computer remotely. You can control your machine as if you were there in person and schedule a Facebook update. It will look like it came from your home computer -- because it did.
3. Build a virtual networking computing (VNC) server. This isn't as hard as it sounds -- computers running Mac OS X 10.4 or better or Windows Vista Ultimate or better already have the capability to act as a VNC server. You can even use an app like Mocha VNC to connect to your computer through an iPhone. Control your machine as if you were at the keyboard.

In short, a virtual alibi isn't really worth that much. In Bradford's case, attorneys subpoenaed Facebook to make sure the status update came from his home. Facebook confirmed this was the case. But as I point out, that doesn't necessarily mean Bradford was actually home. Right now, the law is lagging behind technology. Many lawyers don't really know what is and isn't possible using computers. As a result, attorneys drop charges for the wrong reasons.

Perhaps the lawyers did know all the possibilities. Perhaps they dropped the charges because the evidence coupled with everything else they knew about Bradford was enough to convince them he wasn't the right guy. It could be another case of the media not reporting the whole story. But if lawyers think that there's no way to create a fake virtual alibi, we may be in for some serious crimes committed by Web-savvy bad guys.

Source: news.discovery.com/