Social media has become a popular tool for both criminals and law enforcement. There are many different perspectives on how social media contributes to crime and crime solving. On the one hand, law enforcement can use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to find evidence of specific crimes. On the other hand, digital bad guys can use social media to break the law. This could include crimes as minor as illegal downloading of music, all the way up to widespread drug sales. Social media has also spawned a new type of crime. Online money scams are a growing problem in Canada as social media demographics grow. Another popular topic in social media crime is the use of vigilantes. With the use of computers, smartphones and tablets, law enforcement has a wide range of users who can seek help in solving crimes. It is also important to consider ethical considerations when using information on social media. It is possible to infringe on users' rights when obtaining information and evidence. All of these different aspects demonstrate the extent to which social media constitutes both an obstacle and an advantage for crime in Canada. Any site that allows people to post updates about their movements and daily activities provides opportunities for police and investigators to obtain evidence or lay charges. on specific crimes. Kate Knibbs of digitaltrends.com states that “Facebook is now one of the most fertile sources of criminal evidence” (Knibbs, 2013). The website goes on to say that it started with underage drinking and evolved to help identify gang members. Law enforcement can use social media in different ways to obtain evidence. One solution is to create fake online profiles. “Police officers find themselves in the middle of a paper…in a crowd in order to help the police in a way that they couldn’t do without social media.” When you share an Amber Alert, you exercise a kind of vigilance on the Internet. It is also important to be wary of erroneous and harmful vigilance on the Internet, which jeopardizes impartiality and justice. Not only does the internet have the ability to help fight crime, it can also make crime worse through phishing, hacking and social media scams. It is imperative to be aware of the evolution of online crime, in order to avoid it. Finally, protecting your privacy on the Internet is possible if you understand the privacy and security of different social media sites, as well as who has access to your profile. There will always be benefits to using social media to solve crimes, just as there will always be deterrents to protecting your own social security online..