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Police reveal new danger of social media updates
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga addresses journalists at the Force’s headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, on July 18, 2022. PHOTO/FRANK BAGUMA
The criminals that killed a city councillor last week while jogging likely tracked him by following his social media updates about the exercise, police have said, citing preliminary findings.
The revelation, if confirmed, illuminates the security risk that online activity poses to netizens.
James Kakooza was a city division councillor representing Kamwokya parish and unknown assailants waylaid him on the edge of Centenary Park in central Kampala on Saturday and reportedly struck him on the head with an object, leaving him dead.
Whereas a suspect has been taken into custody, the motive of the killing and the identities of the killers remain unknown. Two suspects are reportedly on the run.
Kakooza was a resident of Kamwokya 2 B, Kamwokya Church Zone Central Division, Kampala.
The scene of crime officers recovered two mobile phones from his body. The police haven’t yet established whether Kakooza had other property on him or not before the attack.
Detectives investigating the case have linked the attack to the deceased’s real-time updates about his planned physical exercise which they believe some outlaws after his life exploited.
James Kakooza
“When he (Kakooza) woke up in the morning, he posted [a message] on one of the community social media platforms [that] he was going out for the road run and this alerted the criminals, if they were on the same [WhatsApp] group,” Police spokesman Fred Enanga said yesterday.
He did not provide evidence directly linking the WhatsApp message to the attack, or render an explanation why investigators believe that to be the case.
However, Mr Enanga said their suspicion is based on an analysis of a police closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage which showed that the assailants began trailing late Kakooza as soon as he started his road run immediately after the WhatsApp group update.
“We want to caution people. There are many people who publicise their daily routines. You wake up in the morning and let everyone know what you are going to do…. This is dangerous since it can make you a target by your enemies,” he said. Police and other security sources cite update on WhatsApp status, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, among other micro-bloggingsites, about dining places, new car or property acquisitions, planned flights or road trips, revealing identities of spouse, family members and friends, among other temptations, as high risk online activity.
Some individuals publicly share online images of bundles of cash in their possession, the interior designs of their places of abode, include access control details, as well as schools where their children study and their favourite hang-outs, meals and drinks.
Among individuals invested in real-time social media updates is Mr Stephen llungole, a veteran in public relations.
He, until recently, always shared auto-generated map of his road run route, leaving substantial digital footprint as a regular runner.
“I stopped because of security issues. I used to share the map of the road run that would show where I started from and where I ended. Now, I only share in my running club WhatsApp group,” Mr Ilungole said.
He said he also keeps changing routes, and abandoned running while it is dark.
“I see some people running at around 5:30am. That is very risky given the types of our roads that aren’t lit and have potholes that may cause harm even before the criminals attack [one],” he added.
Mr Benjamin Mulindwa of Eagle Eye Security specialises in VIP protection, and part of their duty is providing physical and digital security advice.
He said they always advise their clients to turn off locator apps on their phone, post not updates while travelling and not to share geo-tagged photographs that that reveal a precise location.
“The social media posts put the life of the one who has posted and their family members at a risk,” he said, adding that children of a user could be kidnapped or forced to disclose whereabouts of parents and relatives.
Such publicly available, according to another security expert, can aid state surveillance and house break-ins when family is out on a trip or socialising.
As a result of the dangers posed, police spokesman Enanga yesterday cautioned the public to desist from posting their routines on social media as it would help the criminals track their movements.
He called for common sense in deciding what personal information to share and withhold from the public, and not expose their children or schools they go to.
How to protect yourself, personal data
With increase in the number of social media applications, many people have several options of their taste. There are social media applications that target photographs, videos and text. People post all sort of information from how they make money to travel. This information could be used by third parties illegally. Mr Grace Matsiko, the chairperson of Uganda Private Security Association, said the public should not disclose their journeys on social media or third parties other than their immediate families. “You should only post what you have done after several days,” Mr Matsiko said.
He said they also advise their members to tell their clients to avoid sharing details about their family members like children and maids on the social media. He said the criminals could manipulate their children to understand how their parents lead their life and the property they own. Mr Matsiko said the children could also be a target of crime if their photographs are shared on social media.
