Perhaps to protect future protégés from sexxxy scorn, Senator Chuck Schumer is asking the Justice Department to investigate the legality of the recent practice of employers obtaining employees' Facebook passwords. The AP reports that Schumer, along with Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, specifically want to know if it violates the Stored Communications Act or the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Sadly, expressions like SMH, ROTFL, and "Amazeballs" remain legal. more ›

If you See Something, Say Something on as many social media platforms that your little hands can muster, and your friends will get in touch with the authorities for you! A Facebook status update from a man on a weekend fight to JFK Airport worried his friends enough to apparently contact the authorities. According to the Post, "A jittery flier sparked a scare after posting about 'suspicious' co-passengers on Facebook — prompting his online pals to alert authorities, who then scrambled to meet the flight at Kennedy"—the authorities take "suspicious passengers" very seriously—"When confronted, Delta passenger Benjamin Miller Rosen, 25, admitted, 'I get nervous on flights.'" more ›

Last week a 39-year old man was shot in a Queens barbershop by a man wielding a sawed-off shotgun known by the nickname "Armani." The victim's brother, who was present at the time, told detectives that although he didn't know the shooter's real name, he could probably find some pictures of him on Facebook. more ›

The NJ Attorney General's office announced that a certified nursing assistant and her friend were charged with third-degree invasion of privacy and third-degree conspiracy in a scheme that involved the nursing assistant taking a photograph of a nursing home patient's genitalia...and then sending it to her friend who then put it on Facebook. more ›

Surprise: using "zany" internet deal services like Groupon leads to eating in restaurants you don't even like and doing stuff (discount colon cleansing anyone?) you never wanted to do in the first place. Americans are preconditioned to snatch up a deal, no matter how pointless. But in browsing Groupon's site for some answers we stumbled upon Clicky, the "Value Wheel," that could score you as little as $5 and as much as $100 in savings off already rock-bottom Groupon deals. The catch? Groupon gets the keys to your identity. Gotta love those 1:1000 odds! more ›

A student at Lincoln High School in Coney Island was arrested yesterday after he allegedly made a series of threats against the school on Facebook earlier in the week. The 15-year-old boy, whose name is being withheld, was arrested after a friend warned him that making threats would get him in trouble. more ›

A teacher who was fired for saying on Facebook she'd like to see her "devil spawn" fifth grade students drown still wants her job back—and a Manhattan Supreme Court judge is on her side. But the city? Not so much! more ›

People say the most incriminating things on the internets! In the wake of the arrest of New Jersey high school football coach (and Adam Sandler lookalike) Scott Rubinetti, those who allegedly knew him have taken to Facebook to speak their piece—and some of them have some interesting (if totally uncorroborated) things to say. Like the one who says "he was always enjoying some nose candy with select female students and then would sleep with them." Could that explain why at least five Lyndhurst High Schoolers wore "Free Rubinetti" shirts to school yesterday? more ›

Last night's Giants game was great for fans—except for Jersey City Assemblyman—and police detective—Charles Mainor. Because a constituent noticed that his Facebook status said, "We are not going to just lay down, we come to play. Who the hell do you think we are the DALLAS COWGIRLS OR THOSE GAYBIRDS FROM PHILLY...NO WE ARE THE NEW YORK GIANTS." more ›

NJ authorities say that they arrested a man who forced a woman into prostitution—and they found out because the woman was able to send a Facebook message to her brother for help. The Record reports, "The victim’s smart phone did not have service to call out when she was being held, but she was able to access Facebook and contact her brother when she was in a Wi-Fi hotspot...The brother, who lives in Florida, contacted an agency in Little Egg Harbor, where his family lives." more ›

Yesterday, Facebook announced that they were launching a new suicide prevention program, enabling users to instantly connect with crisis counselors through their Facebook chat. Suicidal teens won't only have to rely on Mountain Dew anymore. more ›

If NYPD officers were required to reside within the five boroughs, they'd be less prone to racist misconduct, contends Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who is pushing a bill that would require cops to live locally. "If you live in New York City, you’re more likely to appreciate the need for racial unity and harmony in this city," the Brooklyn Democrat told reporters yesterday. His proposal comes in response to a controversial Facebook group called "No More West Indian Day Detail," which featured borderline bigoted comments by numerous users who appeared to be NYPD officers. more ›

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly has issued a statement regarding the infamous Facebook group "No More West Indian Day Detail," which was filled with offensive comments about parade-goers, made by people who appear to be NYPD officers. And though some commenters have argued that police should be allowed to say whatever they want because of the First Amendment, New York City's top cop doesn't seem too persuaded by the old "Constitution" defense. more ›

[UPDATE with a statement from Bloomberg's spokesman below.] Mayor Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly have yet to comment on an offensive Facebook group that complained, in highly derogatory terms, about being assigned to police the West Indian-American Day parade. But other officials have been quick to express outrage, including but not limited to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Council Member Jumaane Williams. You can read their condemnation of the group below—right after you take the full tour of the ugly comments, which were sent to us by attorney Benjamin Moore. We should note that not all of the comments below were made by NYPD officers, and so far no NYPD officer has admitted to making one of the comments: more ›

A spokesman for the Brooklyn DA says the office will investigate NYPD officers who may be linked to a Facebook group complaining about having to work the West Indian-American Day Carnival. The group called itself "No More West Indian Day Detail," and said it was intended for "NYPD officers who are threatened by superiors and forced to be victims themselves by the violence of the West Indian Day massacre." Printed out, the messages added up to 70 pages with comments such as "Let them kill each other," which was made by someone whose name matched an NYPD officer. more ›

Things are not looking good for Sharron Smalls, the principal of the troubled Jane Addams High School in the South Bronx. It was bad enough that her "persistently low-achieving" school got a terrible independent external review which recommended it be shut down—she's also become embroiled in a massive course credit scandal. Students have turned on her now too, accusing her of charging them for free parking. Oh, and they also plastered a scantily clad photo of her grinding with a half-naked man around the school. more ›

Yesterday, Facebook announced plans to open a new engineering office in NYC next year—and they will be hiring immediately. Mayor Bloomberg Tweeted, "Facebook tapping into NYC’s talent proves we’re on our way to becoming tech capital of the world." more ›

Out of Facebook's 1 billion daily logins, 600,000 are hacked and compromised. Facebook used the British security firm Sophos for an analysis of their security breaches. Naturally, Facebook released a statement telling everyone how much they care about other people not finding out how much we love Nickelback, or that video of the guy doing the Dougie getting hit with an ice cream truck: "At Facebook, we take the privacy and safety of the people who use our site very seriously." They're also working 24/7 to ensure everyone’s information is safe and secure.” more ›

Vicki Knox, the Union Township high school teacher who ignited a serious firestorm over the anti-gay messages she allegedly posted all over her school's Facebook, is at the center of an increasingly intense School Board battle over whether or not she should be allowed to keep her job. And while Knox herself has yet to publicly comment on the issue, pretty much everyone else is. more ›

Viki Knox, the Union Township, New Jersey teacher who referred to homosexuality as "a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation," and a "sin" that "breeds like cancer" on a Facebook thread about her school's LGBT pride month, is at the center of a serious battle over free speech. more ›

Further proof that teachers and Facebook don't mix: A Union Township, New Jersey teacher is being investigated over the homophobic comments she allegedly posted on her Facebook, calling homosexuality "perverted" and criticizing Union High School LGBT month events, reports the Star-Ledger today. more ›

The 20-year-old who is accused of brutally beating up an 81-year-old grandfather last week confessed to cops that he did it—all for the old man's gold chain. Cameron "BillyBam" Roebuck gave the police a nonchalant rundown of his crime just after he was arrested: "I was following [the victim for a few blocks]. I saw the gold chain on his neck. I followed him to the building. I remember choking him and I took his chain and wallet," he said, according to police records (which seem to suggest he's the Hemingway of hoodlums). more ›

Over the weekend, New Yorkers watched in horror as surveillance footage surfaced showing a young man brutally beating an 81-year-old Bronx grandfather last Thursday. On Sunday the NYPD arrested 20-year-old Cameron "BillyBam" Roebuck in relation to the attack (a tipster helped them out) and today we now know who is really to blame: Facebook. When Roebuck isn't busy with alleged criminal activities (he's been arrested six times since 2008 on charges ranging from assault to burglary) he is apparently an avid Facebook gamer. But unlike some state assemblymen, Roebuck's game of choice is Zygna's Cafe World. more ›

The reports of creepy dudes using Facebook to stalk and harass teens keep rolling in: police have accused a 53-year-old Pennsylvania man of creating multiple fake Facebook accounts in an attempt to lure a 14-year-old girl into have sex with him. And there was a split-personality/teenage fantasy twist to the suspect's machinations. more ›

Police say that a 14-year-old New Jersey girl was sexually assaulted by a man who had been Facebook stalking her—and it might not be the first time he's done it. They have arrested 29-year-old Michael Sebastian and accused him of posing as a 17-year-old in order to get close to the teen victim. “The conversations and chats in the messages got sexual very quickly and to the victim’s credit, she said ‘no,’ but didn’t want to meet him. She tried to do the right thing,” First Assistant District Attorney Al Cernadas Jr. told CBS. more ›