FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

[Matt555]

I thought this was the most relevant place to post it...

FBI agents trying to track the source of e-mailed bomb threats against a Washington high school last month sent the suspect a secret surveillance program designed to surreptitiously monitor him and report back to a government server, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by Wired News.

The court filing offers the first public glimpse into the bureau's long-suspected spyware capability, in which the FBI adopts techniques more common to online criminals.

The software was sent to the owner of an anonymous MySpace profile linked to bomb threats against Timberline High School near Seattle. The code led the FBI to 15-year-old Josh Glazebrook, a student at the school, who on Monday pleaded guilty to making bomb threats, identity theft and felony harassment.

FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

Interesting, privacy invasion? Yes. For a good reason? Not too sure...

 

[Big B]

That's the fine line. At what point does it become invasion of privacy? If someone is acting suspiciously, don't you want the authorities to look into it?
Plus, in the wake of incidents like the Columbine shootings, do we want to simply ignore someone who's acting suspiciously.
Let's say they thought he was doing something and find out that he's not a threat. No harm done. However, if they have the capability to check something out and don't, what kind of uproar would there be if this kid actually did go and blow up that high school?
I understand the privacy issue, but at the same time do we want to let someone acting suspiciously just carry on? Do we want the police to wait until someone has committed a crime instead of checking out suspicous behavior?