After the rioting in Vancouver, following the Canucks Stanley Cup loss to the Bruins, the city is cleaning up and repairing the millions of dollars of damage. Identifying and arresting responsible parties is likely to continue however for several weeks if not months into the future. But, like never before, the intelligence being gathered is in large part from social media networks or websites created precisely for that purpose, and citizen observers are supplying literally hundred of photos and videos.

But it’s not without controversy. The whole episode has raised many questions and will likely fuel dialog far into the future.

At issue:

1. Are the citizen witnesses putting themselves in danger by identifying rioters and/or providing digital evidence?

2. The Insurance Commission of B.C. has offered its facial recognition technology and drivers’ license photo database to law enforcement to help i.d. the perpetrators. Civil liberties experts are crying foul.

3. What about due process?  Is what we think we see in a digital image what happened? Are people being falsely accused?

I recently co-wrote a blog post with GovLoop’s Joe Porcelli. Read the post and join us as we discuss these questions and more at GovLoop.org.