An online dating application is an online dating service presented through a mobile phone application (app). These apps often take advantage of a smartphone's GPS location capabilities, always on-hand presence, and access to mobile wallets.
These apps aim to speed up the online dating process of sifting through
potential dating partners, chatting, flirting, and potentially meeting
or becoming romantically involved.
Online dating apps are now mainstream in the U.S. As of 2017,
online dating (which included both apps and other online dating
services) was the number one method by which new couples in the U.S.
met. The percentage of couples meeting online is predicted to increase to 70% by 2040.
Origins
By 2009, several dating apps existed which catered to straight audiences, with Grindr targeting gay and bisexual men at launch. Tinder,
launched in 2012, led to a growth of online dating applications by
both new providers and existing online dating services that expanded
into the mobile app market.
Usage by demographic group
Online
dating applications typically target a younger demographic group. Today
almost 50% of people know of someone who use the services or has met
their loved one through the service.
After the iPhone launch in 2007, online dating data has mushroomed as
application usage increased. In 2005, only 10% of 18-24 year olds
reported to have used online dating services; this number quickly grew
to over 27%,
making this target demographic the largest number of users for most
applications. When Pew Research Center conducted a study in 2016, they
found that 59% of U.S. adults agreed that online dating is a good way to
meet people compared to 44% in 2005. This explosion in usage can be
explained by the increased use of smartphones. By the end of 2022, it is
expected there will be 413 million active users of online dating
services worldwide.
The increased use of smartphones by those 65 and older has also
driven that population to the use dating apps. The Pew Research Center
found that usage increase by 8 points since last surveyed in 2012.
A study in 2021 found that more than one-third of seniors have dated in
the past 5 years, and roughly one-third of those dating seniors have
turned to dating apps.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morning Consult
found that more Americans were using online dating apps than ever
before. In one survey in April 2020, the company discovered that 53% of
U.S. adults who use online dating apps have been using them more during
the pandemic. As of February 2021, that share increased to 71 percent.
Research using Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory has indicated that norms about online dating applications tend to differ across cultures. A study published in the Journal of Creative Communications
looked into the relationships between dating-app advertisements from
over 51 countries and the cultural dimensions of these countries. The
results revealed that dating-app advertisements appealed to multiple
cultural needs, including the needs for relationships, friendship,
entertainment, sex, status, design and identity. The use of these
appeals was found to be 'congruent with ... the
individualism/collectivism and uncertainty avoidance cultural
dimensions.'
Popular applications
Online dating
After
Tinder's success, many others tried creating their own dating
applications and dating websites such as Match.Com created applications
for convenience. ARC from Applause,
a research group on app economy, conducted a research study in 2016 on
how 1.5 million U.S. consumers rated 97 of the most popular dating apps.
The research results indicated that only 11 apps scored 50 or greater
(out of 100) with more than 10,000 reviews from the app store. These
include: Jaumo, OkCupid, happn, SCRUFF by Perry Street, Moco by JNJ Mobile, GROWL by Initech, Skout, Qeep by Blue Lion mobile, MeetMe, Badoo, and Hornet. An app with a 50+ score was considered successful. Other popular applications like Bumble, Grindr, eHarmony, chamet and Match scored 40 or less. To ensure privacy for celebrities, Raya emerged as a membership-based dating app, allowing entrance only through referrals. In 2019, Taimi, which started out as an alternative to Grindr launched a first LGBTQI+ inclusive dating app.
The ability to identify individuals with similar interests has given
rise to a number of popular religious dating apps including the likes of
Muzmatch (Muslim), Salams (Muslim), Upward (Christian), Christian Connection (Christian), JSwipe (Jewish) and JDate (Jewish).
VR Dating
VR Dating is an application of Social VR where people can exist, collaborate, and perform various activities together.
Virtual reality apps use virtual and augmented realities to make the
dating experience more lifelike and more effective, as well as allow
people to expand what is already possible in the world of online dating.
There are several online platforms of VR Dating. The VR dating
app Nevermet is the VR equivalent of Tinder, where people can search and
find on dates. However, instead of actual real-life pictures, users
will update pictures of virtual selves and will be interacting with
avatars rather than real faces.
Flirtual is a self-contained social VR app that serves to match users
who then decide where and how to meet in VR. Flirtual hosts speed dating
and social events in VR.
Effects on dating
The usage of online dating applications can have both advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
Many
of the applications provide personality tests for matching or use
algorithms to match users. These factors enhance the possibility of
users getting matched with a compatible candidate. Users are in control;
they are provided with many options so there are enough matches that
fit their particular type. Users can simply choose to not match the
candidates that they know they are not interested in. Narrowing down
options is easy. Once users think they are interested, they are able to
chat and get to know the potential candidate. This type of communication
saves the time, money, and risk users would not avoid if they were
dating the traditional way.
Online dating offers convenience; people want dating to work around
their schedules. Online dating can also increase self-confidence; even
if users get rejected, they know there are hundreds of other candidates
that will want to match with them so they can simply move on to the next
option.
In fact, 60% of U.S. adults agree that online dating is a good way to
meet people and 66% say they have gone on a real date with someone they
met through an application. Today, 5% of married Americans or Americans
in serious relationships said they met their significant other online.
Disadvantages
Sometimes
having too many options can be overwhelming. With so many options
available, users can get lost in their choices and end up spending too
much time looking for the "perfect" candidate instead of using that time
to start a real relationship.
In addition, the algorithms and matching systems put in place may not
always be as accurate as users think. There is no perfect system that
can match two people’s personalities perfectly every time.
Communication online also lacks the physical chemistry aspect
that is essential for choosing a potential partner. Much is lost in
translation through texting. Online dating has made dating very
superficial; the picture on a user's profile may cause someone to match
or not match before even getting to know their personalities.
An issue amplified by dating apps is a phenomenon known as 'ghosting',
whereby one party in a relationship cuts off all communication with the
other party without warning or explanation. Ghosting poses a serious
problem for dating apps as it can lead to users deleting the apps. For
this reason companies like Bumble and Badoo are cracking down on the practice with new features that make it easier for users to end chat conversations more politely.
Online dating is stigmatized, but it is becoming more accepted over time.
Data privacy
Dating apps and online dating sites are often involved in cases concerning the misuse of data. In 2018 Grindr, the first platform for gay dating is accused to have shared data about the HIV status of its users with numerous companies. Grindr recognized the allegations but claimed that it was in order to optimize its platform which doesn’t convince the LGBT community. Grindr defended itself by sharing the data loss prevention
of the company and reassuring the users with the public intervention of
its CTO Scott Chen. In Europe, dating platforms care more and more
about data legislation because of the GDPR sanctions that threatens companies with economic sanctions.
Other personal data are sold by dating apps. The one that is the
most bought by private companies remains the geographical information of
users. When the user allows localization, apps record them and store
them using Geographic Coordinate System. When a data breach happens, geographical information directly exposes users.
As others applications, dating apps can have breaches: hackers have revealed security issues on Tinder, Coffee Meets Bagel or Adult FriendFinder
for instance. On the last one, the data of more than 412 million users
was exposed, one of the largest leak in terms of the number of accounts
exposed. In 2016, the sharing of personal information from almost 40 million users of Ashley Madison
by a group of Hackers, the "Impact Team", revealed their real name,
phone number, email address, geographical position and sexual
preferences.
Ashley Madison assured their more than 35 million users that the
service was totally "anonymous" and "100% discrete" but they didn't
completely delete accounts when users chose to (and paid for that) or
recognize that data had actually leaked in a first time. Some suicides
have been reported after the leak. Taimi introduced bank-level security to become the "safest dating app" for gay people to date.
Data theft and cybersecurity
After
analyzing a significant number of diverse mobile dating applications,
researchers have concluded that most of the major dating applications
are vulnerable to simple sniffing attacks,
which could reveal very sensitive personal information such as sexual
orientation, preferences, e-mails, degree of interaction between users,
etc.
Online dating platforms are also used as honeypots wherein attackers create fake profiles to steal user's private information.
The Secret Service is mandated by Congress with two distinct and critical national security missions: protecting the nation's leaders and safeguarding the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States.
Protective mission
The Secret Service is tasked with ensuring the safety of the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the President-elect of the United States, the Vice President-elect of the United States, and their immediate families; former presidents, their spouses and their children under the age of 16; those in the presidential line of succession, major presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their spouses; and visiting foreign heads of state and heads of government. By custom, it also provides protection to the Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Homeland Security, as well as other people as directed by the president (usually the White House Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor, among others). By federal statute, the president and vice president may not refuse this protection. The Secret Service also provides physical security for the White House Complex; the neighboring Treasury Department building; the vice president's residence;
the principal private residences of the president, vice president and
former presidents; and all foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C. The protective mission includes protective operations to coordinate manpower and logistics with state and local law enforcement
in the US, protective advances to conduct site and venue assessments
for protectees, and protective intelligence to investigate all manners
of threats made against protectees. The Secret Service is the lead
agency in charge of the planning, coordination, and implementation of
security operations for events designated as National Special Security Events (NSSE).
As part of the service's mission of preventing an incident before it
occurs, the agency relies on meticulous advance work and threat
assessments developed by its Intelligence Division to identify potential
risks to protectees.
Investigative mission
The Secret Service is tasked with safeguarding the payment and financial systems of the United States
from a wide range of financial and cyber-based crimes. Financial
investigations include counterfeit U.S. currency, bank and financial
institution fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, illicit financing operations,
and major conspiracies. Cyber investigations include cybercrime, network intrusions, identity theft, access device fraud, credit card fraud, and intellectual property crimes. The Secret Service is also a member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force
(JTTF) which investigates and combats terrorism on a national and
international scale. Also, the Secret Service investigates missing and
exploited children and is a partner of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The Secret Service is also tasked with investigating reports of the existence of specimens of the extremely rare 1933 double eagle gold coin, as only a single example of the fourteen known survivors from this mintage year is authorised to be owned or sold.
Dual objective
The Secret Service combines the two responsibilities into a dual
objective. The two core missions of protection and investigation
synergize with each other, providing benefits to special agents during
the course of their careers. Skills developed during the course of
investigations which are also used in an agent's protective duties
include but are not limited to:
Partnerships that are created between field offices and local
law enforcement during the course of investigations being used to gather
both protective intelligence and in coordinating protection events.
Tactical operation (e.g. surveillance, arrests, and search warrants)
and law enforcement writing (e.g. affidavits, after action reports, and
operations plans) skills being applied to both investigative and
protective duties.
Proficiency in analyzing handwriting and forgery techniques being
applied in protective investigations of handwritten letters and
suspicious package threats.
Expertise in investigating electronic and financial crimes being
applied in protective investigations of threats made against the
nation's leaders on the Internet.
The Secret Service is authorized by 18 U.S.C. § 3056(a) to protect:
The president, vice president (or the next individual in the order of succession, should the vice presidency be vacant), president-elect and vice president-elect
The immediate families of the above individuals
Former presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except if the spouse remarries
Children of former presidents under the age of 16
Visiting heads of state or government and their spouses traveling with them
Other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States and
official representatives of the United States performing special
missions abroad, when the president directs protection be provided
Major presidential and vice presidential candidates and, within 120 days of a general presidential election, their spouses
Former vice presidents, their spouses, and their children under 16
years of age, for up to 6 months from the date the former vice president
leaves office (the Secretary of Homeland Security can authorize
temporary protection of these individuals at any time after that period)
In addition to the above, the Secret Service can also protect other individuals by executive order of the president. Under Presidential Policy Directive 22, "National Special Security Events",
the Secret Service is the lead agency for the design and implementation
of operational security plans for events designated an NSSE by the
secretary of homeland security.
There have been changes to the protection of former presidents over time. Under the original Former Presidents Act,
former presidents and their spouses were entitled to lifetime
protection, subject to limited exceptions. In 1994, this was amended to
reduce the protection period to 10 years after a former president left
office, starting with presidents assuming the role after January 1,
1997. On January 10, 2013, President Barack Obama signed legislation reversing this limit and reinstating lifetime protection to all former presidents. This change impacted Presidents Obama and G.W. Bush, as well as all future presidents.
Protection of government officials is not solely the
responsibility of the Secret Service, with many other agencies, such as
the United States Capitol Police, Supreme Court Police and Diplomatic Security Service,
providing personal protective services to domestic and foreign
officials. However, while these agencies are nominally responsible for
services to other officers of the United States and senior dignitaries,
the Secret Service provides protective services at the highest-level –
i.e. for heads of state and heads of government.
The Secret Service's other primary mission is investigative; to
protect the payment and financial systems of the United States from a
wide range of financial and electronic-based crimes including
counterfeit U.S. currency, bank and financial institution fraud, illicit
financing operations, cybercrime, identity theft, intellectual property
crimes, and any other violations that may affect the United States
economy and financial systems. The agency's key focus is on large,
high-dollar economic impact cases involving organized criminal groups.
Financial criminals include embezzling bank employees, armed robbers at
automatic teller machines, heroin traffickers, and criminal
organizations that commit bank fraud on a global scale.
The USSS plays a leading role in facilitating relationships
between other law enforcement entities, the private sector, and
academia. The service maintains the Electronic Crimes Task Forces, which
focus on identifying and locating international cyber criminals
connected to cyber intrusions, bank fraud, data breaches, and other
computer-related crimes. Additionally, the Secret Service runs the
National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), which provides law
enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges with cyber training and
information to combat cybercrime.
In the face of budget pressure, hiring challenges and some high-profile lapses in its protective service role in 2014, the Brookings Institution
and some members of Congress are asking whether the agency's focus
should shift more to the protective mission, leaving more of its
original mission to other agencies.
History
Early years
With a reported one third of the currency in circulation being counterfeit at the time, Abraham Lincoln
established a commission to make recommendations to remedy the problem.
The Secret Service was later established on July 5, 1865, in Washington, D.C., to suppress counterfeit currency. Chief William P. Wood was sworn in by Secretary of the TreasuryHugh McCulloch. It was commissioned in Washington, D.C.
as the "Secret Service Division" of the Department of the Treasury with
the mission of suppressing counterfeiting. At the time, the only other
federal law enforcement agencies were the United States Customs Service, the United States Park Police, the U.S. Post Office Department's Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations (now known as the United States Postal Inspection Service), and the United States Marshals Service.
The Marshals did not have the manpower to investigate all crime under
federal jurisdiction, so the Secret Service began investigating a wide
range of crimes from murder to bank robbery to illegal gambling.
20th century
After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, Congress
informally requested that the Secret Service provide presidential
protection. A year later, the Secret Service assumed full-time
responsibility for presidential protection. In 1902, William Craig became the first Secret Service agent to die while on duty, in a road accident while riding in the presidential carriage.
The Secret Service was the first U.S. domestic intelligence and
counterintelligence agency. Domestic intelligence collection and
counterintelligence responsibilities were later vested in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) upon the FBI's creation in 1908.
Taft Mexican Summit (1909)
In 1909, President William H. Taft agreed to meet with Mexican president Porfirio Díaz in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, the first meeting between a U.S. and a Mexican president and also the first time an American president visited Mexico.
The historic summit resulted in serious assassination threats and other
security concerns for the then small Secret Service, so the Texas Rangers, 4,000 U.S. and Mexican troops, BOI agents, U.S. Marshals, and an additional 250-man private security detail led by Frederick Russell Burnham, the celebrated scout, were all called in by Chief John Wilkie to provide added security. On October 16, the day of the summit, Burnham discovered a man holding a concealed palm pistol standing at the El Paso Chamber of Commerce building along the procession route. The man was captured and disarmed only a few feet from Díaz and Taft.
1920s
The first unofficial female special agent was Florence Bolan. She joined the service in 1917.
In 1924, Bolan was promoted to operative (the title preceding special
agent) where she performed duties, such as searching female prisoners
and engaging in occasional fieldwork.
In 1950, President Harry S. Truman was residing in Blair House while the White House, across the street, was undergoing renovations. On November 1, 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists, Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, approached Blair House with the intent to assassinate President Truman. Collazo and Torresola opened fire on Private Leslie Coffelt and other White House Police officers. Though mortally wounded by three shots from a 9 mm German Luger
to his chest and abdomen, Private Coffelt returned fire, killing
Torresola with a single shot to his head. Collazo was also shot, but
survived his injuries and served 29 years in prison before returning to
Puerto Rico in late 1979.
Coffelt is the only member of the Secret Service killed while
protecting a US president against an assassination attempt (Special
Agent Tim McCarthy stepped in front of President Ronald Reagan during the assassination attempt of March 30, 1981, and took a bullet to the chest but made a full recovery).
1960s
In 1968, as a result of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, Congress authorized protection of major presidential and vice presidential candidates and nominees.
In 1965 and 1968, Congress also authorized lifetime protection of the
spouses of deceased presidents unless they remarry and of the children
of former presidents until age 16.
1980s
In 1984, the US Congress passed the Comprehensive Crime Control Act, which extended the Secret Service's jurisdiction over credit card fraud and computer fraud.
1990s
In 1990, the Secret Service initiated Operation Sundevil, which they originally intended as a sting against malicious hackers,
allegedly responsible for disrupting telephone services across the
entire United States. The operation, which was later described by Bruce Sterling in his book The Hacker Crackdown,
affected a great number of people unrelated to hacking, and led to no
convictions. The Secret Service, however, was sued and required to pay
damages. On March 1, 1990, the Secret Service served a search warrant on Steve Jackson Games, a small company in Austin, Texas,
seizing three computers and over 300 floppy disks. In the subsequent
lawsuit, the judge reprimanded the Secret Service, calling their warrant
preparation "sloppy."
In 1994 and 1995, it ran an undercover sting called Operation Cybersnare.
The Secret Service has concurrent jurisdiction with the FBI over
certain violations of federal computer crime laws. They have created 24
Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs) across the United States. These
task forces are partnerships between the service, federal/state and
local law enforcement, the private sector and academia aimed at
combating technology-based crimes.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive 62, which established National Special Security Events
(NSSE). That directive made the Secret Service responsible for security
at designated events. In 1999, the United States Secret Service
Memorial Building was dedicated in DC, granting the agency its first
headquarters. Prior to this, the agency's different departments were
based in office space around the DC area. The General Services Administration acquired the United States Secret Service Memorial Building's adjoining property, the Webster School, for the Secret Service.
21st century
2000s
September 11 attacks
The New York City Field office was located at 7 World Trade Center. Immediately after the World Trade Center was attacked as part of the September 11 attacks,
Special Agents and other New York Field office employees were among the
first to respond with first aid. Sixty-seven Special Agents in New York
City, at and near the New York Field Office, helped to set up triage areas and evacuate the towers. One Secret Service employee, Master Special Officer Craig Miller, died during the rescue efforts. On August 20, 2002, Director Brian L. Stafford awarded the Director's Valor Award to employees who assisted in the rescue attempts.
Domestic expansion
Effective March 1, 2003, the Secret Service transferred from the
Treasury to the newly established Department of Homeland Security.
The USA Patriot Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush
on October 26, 2001, mandated the Secret Service to establish a
nationwide network of ECTFs in addition to the one already active in New
York. As such, this mandate expanded on the agency's first ECTF—the New
York Electronic Crimes Task Force, formed in 1995—which brought
together federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors,
private-industry companies, and academia. These bodies collectively
provide necessary support and resources to field investigations that
meet any one of the following criteria: significant economic or
community impact; participation of organized criminal groups involving
multiple districts or transnational organizations; or use of schemes
involving new technology.
The network prioritizes investigations that meet the following criteria:
Significant economic or community impact,
Participation of multiple-district or transnational organized criminal groups,
Use of new technology as a means to commit crime.
Investigations conducted by ECTFs include crimes such as computer
generated counterfeit currency; bank fraud; virus and worm
proliferation; access device fraud; telecommunications fraud; Internet
threats; computer system intrusions and cyberattacks; phishing/spoofing;
assistance with Internet-related child pornography and exploitation;
and identity theft.
International expansion
On July 6, 2009, the U.S. Secret Service expanded its fight on cybercrime by creating the first European Electronic Crime Task Force,
based on the successful U.S. domestic model, through a memorandum of
understanding with Italian police and postal officials. Over a year
later, on August 9, 2010, the agency expanded its European involvement
by creating its second overseas ECTF in the United Kingdom.
Both task forces are said to concentrate on a wide range of "computer-based criminal activity," including:
Other computer-related crimes affecting financial and other critical infrastructures.
2010s
As of 2010,
the service had over 6,500 employees: 3,200 Special Agents, 1,300
Uniformed Division Officers, and 2,000 technical and administrative
employees. Special agents serve on protective details and investigate financial, cyber, and homeland security-related crimes.
In September 2014, the United States Secret Service came under
criticism following two high-profile incidents involving intruders at
the White House. One such intruder entered the East Room of the White House through an unlocked door.
2020s
On April 15, 2020, the ICE Homeland Security Investigations unit launched "Operation Stolen Promise" that targets COVID-19 related fraud.
The operation conscripted resources from various branches of law
enforcement and the government, including the U.S. Secret Service. About $2 trillion in the relief package known as the CARES Act were earmarked by law in March 2020, bringing unemployment benefits
and loans to millions of Americans. However, as Secret Service
spokesmen subsequently pointed out, the Act also opened up opportunities
for criminals to fraudulently apply for aid. By the end of 2021, nearly
two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secret Service had seized
more than $1.2 billion in relief funds appropriated by fraudsters.
On June 1, 2020, during a peaceful protest outside Lafayette Square,
the U.S. Secret Service acted contrary to an operational plan and began
advancing seven minutes before U.S. Park Police gave any dispersal
warnings. This early deployment increased tensions between law enforcement and the protesters. They faced resistance and used pepper spray in response to eggs and bottles being thrown. Attorney General William Barr
spoke with the U.S. Park Police operational commander seven minutes
before the Secret Service began advancing, and again later, before President Trump visited a nearby Parish House to pose for a photo while holding a bible. The U.S. Secret Service later apologized but Joseph Cuffari,
the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, prevented career
officials from investigating the role U.S. Secret Service played in
the Trump administration’s controversial use of force to remove
protesters that day.
In August 2020, a Secret Service officer shot a man once in the
chest at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania during one of
then-President Trump’s press conferences. The president was evacuated
but returned later and told the White House press corps that the man had
a gun. However, according to court documents, the man was actually
holding a comb, told the officers he was armed and took a shooting
stance before being shot. The man is schizophrenic and was charged with
simple assault of a law enforcement officer.
A day before the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021, the Secret Service warned Capitol Police of threats of violence that Capitol Police officers could face violence at the hands of supporters of President Donald Trump. On January 6, Secret Service agents provided security in and around the United States Capitol, as well as evacuating Vice President Mike Pence during the riot.
Testimony in Congress indicates Pence was concerned his security detail
would remove him from the Capitol, stopping him from completing his
duty to oversee the final count of electoral college votes. At the
center of the controversy surrounding the Secret Service and January 6
investigations is Anthony M. Ornato,
who had been the head of Trump's security detail, but took the
unprecedented step of leaving the Secret Service to become deputy White
House chief of staff and becoming a "key part of Trump’s effort to get
reelected."
The Secret Service assisted in the seizure of hacker forum RaidForums in 2022.
In April 2022, four Secret Service agents, one of whom was
assigned to First Lady Jill Biden, were placed on leave after accepting
lavish gifts, rent free apartments, and other bribes from 2 men
ultimately convicted of impersonating federal officers.
On August 24, 2022, President Joe Biden named Kim Cheatle, an official with PepsiCo,
as the agency's new director. Cheatle was in the Secret Service for 27
years and became the first woman to serve as assistant director of
protective operations, a department tasked with protecting the president
and dignitaries.
On November 12, 2023, a Secret Service agent guarding Naomi Biden
fired shots at three people seen breaking into an unoccupied government
vehicle in Georgetown.
Since the 1960s, presidents John F. Kennedy (killed), Gerald Ford (twice attacked, but uninjured) and Ronald Reagan (seriously wounded) have been attacked while appearing in public. Agents on scene, though not injured, during attacks on presidents include William Greer and Roy Kellerman. One of the agents was Robert DeProspero,
the Special Agent In Charge (SAIC) of Reagan's Presidential Protective
Division (PPD) from January 1982 to April 1985. DeProspero was deputy to
Jerry Parr, the SAIC of PPD during the Reagan assassination attempt on March 30, 1981.
The Kennedy assassination spotlighted the bravery of two Secret Service agents. First, an agent protecting Mrs. Kennedy, Clint Hill,
was riding in the car directly behind the presidential limousine when
the attack began. While the shooting continued, Hill leaped from the
running board of the car he was riding on and jumped onto the back of
the president's moving car and guided Mrs. Kennedy from the trunk back
into the rear seat of the car. He then shielded the president and the
first lady with his body until the car arrived at the hospital.
Rufus Youngblood
was riding in the vice-presidential car. When the shots were fired, he
vaulted over the front seat and threw his body over Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. That evening, Johnson called Secret Service Chief James J. Rowley and cited Youngblood's bravery.Youngblood would later recall some of this in his memoir, Twenty Years in the Secret Service.
The period following the Kennedy assassination was the most
difficult in the modern history of the agency. Press reports indicated
that morale among the agents was "low" for months following the
assassination.
The agency overhauled its procedures in the wake of the Kennedy
killing. Training, which until that time had been confined largely to
"on-the-job" efforts, was systematized and regularized.
The Reagan assassination attempt also involved several Secret Service agents, particularly agent Tim McCarthy, who spread his stance to protect Reagan as six bullets were being fired by the would-be assassin, John Hinckley Jr. McCarthy survived a .22-caliber round in the abdomen. For his bravery, McCarthy received the NCAA Award of Valor in 1982. Jerry Parr,
the agent who pushed President Reagan into the limousine, and made the
critical decision to divert the presidential motorcade to George
Washington University Hospital instead of returning to the White House,
was also honored with U.S. Congress commendations for his actions that
day.
Significant investigations
One significant Secret Service investigation was the arrest and indictment of Max Ray Butler, co-founder of the Carders Market carding website. Butler was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after his September 5, 2007 arrest, on wire fraud and identity theft
charges. According to the indictment, Butler hacked into computers at
financial institutions and credit card processing centers over the Internet and sold the tens of thousands of credit card numbers that he acquired in the process.
Operation Firewall:
In October 2004, 28 suspects—located across eight U.S. states and six
countries—were arrested on charges of identity theft, computer fraud,
credit-card fraud, and conspiracy. Nearly 30 national and foreign field
offices of the U.S. Secret Service, including the newly established
national ECTFs, and countless local enforcement agencies from around the
globe, were involved in this operation. Collectively, the arrested
suspects trafficked in at least 1.7 million stolen credit card numbers,
which amounted to $4.3 million of losses to financial institutions.
However, authorities estimated that prevented loss to the industry was
in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The operation, which started in
July 2003 and lasted for more than a year, led investigators to identify
three cybercriminal groups: Shadowcrew, Carderplanet, and Darkprofits.
From the investigation, there was the arrest and indictment of Albert Gonzalez
and 11 other individuals: three U.S. citizens, one from Estonia, three
from Ukraine, two from the People's Republic of China, one from Belarus,
and one known only by an online alias. They were arrested on August 5,
2008, for the theft and sale of more than 40 million credit and debit
card numbers from major U.S. retailers, including TJX Companies, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority, Forever 21, and DSW.
Gonzalez, the main organizer of the scheme, was charged with computer
fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and
conspiracy for his leading role in the crime.
Personnel
Special Agent
The Secret Service special agent position is highly competitive. In
2011, the service accepted less than 1% of its 15,600 special agent
applicants.
At a minimum, a prospective agent must be a U.S. citizen, possess
a current valid driver's license, be in excellent health and physical
condition, possess visual acuity no worse than 20/100 uncorrected or
correctable to 20/20 in each eye, and be between age 21–37 at the time
of appointment, but eligible veterans may apply past age 37. In 2009, the Office of Personnel Management issued implementation guidance on the Isabella v. Department of State court decision: OPM Letter.
Prospective agents must also qualify for a TS/SCI (Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information)
clearance, and undergo an extensive background investigation, to
include in-depth interviews, drug screening, medical diagnosis, and
full-scope polygraph examination.
Special agents receive training in two locations, totaling
approximately 31 weeks. The first phase, the Criminal Investigator
Training Program (CITP) is conducted at the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia,
lasting approximately 13 weeks. The second phase, the Special Agent
Training Course (SATC) is conducted at the Secret Service Academy, James J. Rowley Training Center (JJRTC), just outside Washington, D.C. in Laurel, Maryland, lasting approximately 18 weeks.
A typical special agent career path, depending upon performance and
promotions that affect individual assignments, begins with the first six
to eight years on the job assigned to a field office. Applicants are
directed to list their office location preference during the application
process, and upon receiving a final job offer, usually have several
locations to choose from.
After their field office experience, agents are usually transferred to a
protective assignment where they will stay for three to five years.
Following their protective assignment, many agents return to a field
office for the rest of their careers, or opt for a headquarters based
assignment located in Washington, D.C. During their careers, agents also
have the opportunity to work overseas in one of the agency's
international field offices. This typically requires foreign language
training to ensure language proficiency when working alongside the
agency's foreign law enforcement counterparts.
Special agents are hired at the GL-07, GL-09, or GS-11 grade level, depending on individual qualifications and/or education.
Agents are eligible for promotion on a yearly basis, from GL-07, to
GL-09, to GS-11, to GS-12, to GS-13. The full performance grade level
for a journeyman field agent is GS-13, which a GL-07, GL-09, or GS-11
agent may reach in as little as four, three, or two years respectively.
GS-13 agents are eligible for competitive promotion to supervisory
positions, which encompasses the GS-14, GS-15, and SES grade levels.
GS-13 agents who wish to remain as journeyman field agents, will
continue to advance the GS-13 step level, capping at GS-13 Step 10.
Special agents also receive Law Enforcement Availability Pay
(LEAP), a type of premium overtime pay which provides them with an
additional 25% bonus pay on top of their salary, as agents are required
to work an average workweek of 50 hours as opposed to 40.
As of 2024, an agent living in the Greater New York City area (NY, NJ,
CT) will earn an annual salary of $71,993 (GL-07), $88,060 (GL-09),
$106,545 (GS-11), $127,704 (GS-12), $151,856 (GS-13), $179,449 (GS-14),
and $191,900 (GS-15). Journeyman field agents at GS-13 Step 10 are also
paid a salary of $191,900.
Due to the nature of their work, Secret Service agents are
regularly eligible for scheduled overtime pay in addition to LEAP, and
enjoy a raised statutory pay cap of $221,900 per year (Level II of the
Executive Schedule).
The Secret Service Uniformed Division is a security police similar to the U.S. Capitol Police or DHS Federal Protective Service and is in charge of protecting the physical White House grounds and foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C. area. Established in 1922 as the White House Police,
this organization was fully integrated into the Secret Service in 1930.
In 1970, the protection of foreign diplomatic missions was added to the
force's responsibilities, and its name was changed to the Executive
Protective Service. The name United States Secret Service Uniformed
Division was adopted in 1977.
Secret Service Uniformed Division officers provide protection for
the White House Complex, the vice president's residence, the main
Treasury Building and Annex, and foreign diplomatic missions and
embassies in the Washington, D.C., area. Additionally, Uniformed
Division officers travel in support of presidential, vice presidential
and foreign head of state government missions. Officers may, as their careers progress, be selected to participate in one of several specialized units, including the:
Canine Unit: Performing security sweeps and responding to bomb threats and suspicious packages.
Emergency Response Team: Providing a coordinated tactical response for the White House and other protected facilities.
Counter-sniper Team: Utilizing observation, sighting equipment and
high-performance weapons to provide a secure environment for protectees.
Motorcade Support Unit: Providing motorcycle tactical support for official movements of motorcades.
Crime Scene Search Unit: Photographing, collecting and processing physical and latent evidence.
Office of Training: Serving as firearms and classroom instructors or recruiters.
Special Operations Section: Handling special duties and functions at
the White House Complex, including conducting the daily congressional
and public tours of the White House.
Weapons and equipment
Since the agency's inception, a variety of weapons have been carried by its agents.
Weapons
Agents and officers are trained on standard shoulder weapons that include the FN P90 submachine gun, the 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, and the 12-gauge Remington 870shotgun.
As a non-lethal option, Special Agents, Special Officers, and Uniformed Division Officers are armed with the ASP 16" expandable baton, and Uniformed Division officers also carry pepper spray.
Special Operations Division (SOD) units are authorized to use a variety of non-standard weapons. The Counter Assault Team (CAT)
and the Emergency Response Team (ERT) both use the 5.56mm Knight's
Armament Company SR-16 CQB assault rifle in an 11.5" configuration. CAT
also deploys 12 gauge Remington 870 MCS breaching shotguns. Uniform
Division technicians assigned to the Counter Sniper (CS) team use custom
built .300 Winchester Magnum-chambered bolt-action rifles referred to as JARs ("Just Another Rifle").
These rifles are built with Remington 700 long actions in Accuracy
International stocks and use Schmidt & Bender optics. CS technicians
also use the 7.62mm KAC SR-25/Mk11 Mod 0 semi-automatic sniper rifle
with a Trijicon 5.5× ACOG optic.
Sidearms
The Secret Service's current duty sidearm, the SIG-Sauer P229 double-action/single-action pistol chambered in .357 SIG,
entered service in 1999. It is the issued handgun to all special agents
as well as officers of the Uniformed Division. As of 2019, the
SIG-Sauer P229 is scheduled to be replaced with Glock 9mm pistols. Most special agents will be issued the Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS with forward slide serrations, Ameriglo Bold night sights, and a Streamlight TLR-7A weapon light.
The US Secret Service's Special Operations will be issued the Glock 47
with Ameriglo Bold sights and a Surefire X300 Ultra weapon light.
Badges
Secret Service badge (1875–1890)
Secret Service badge (1890–1971)
Secret Service badge (1971–2003)
Secret Service badge (2003–present)
Attire
Special agents and special officers of the Secret Service wear attire
that is appropriate for their surroundings, in order to blend in as
much as possible. In most circumstances, the attire of a close
protection shift is a conservative suit, but it can range from a tuxedo
to casual clothing as required by the environment. Stereotypically,
Secret Service agents are often portrayed wearing reflective sunglasses
and a communication earpiece. Often their attire is customized to
conceal the wide array of equipment worn in service. Agents wear a
distinctive lapel pin that identifies them to other agents.
The attire for Uniformed Division Officers includes standard police uniforms or utility uniforms
and ballistic/identification vests for members of the counter-sniper
team, Emergency Response Team (ERT), and canine officers. The shoulder patch
of the Uniformed Division consists of the U.S. coat of arms on white or
black, depending on the garment. Also, the shoulder patch is
embroidered with "U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division Police" around
the emblem.
Vehicles
When transporting the president in a motorcade, the Secret Service
uses a fleet of custom-built armored Cadillac Limousines, the newest and
largest version of which is known as "The Beast".
Armored Chevrolet Suburbans are also used when logistics require such a
vehicle or when a more low-profile appearance is required. For official
movement, the limousine is affixed with U.S. and presidential flags and
the presidential seal on the rear doors. For unofficial events, the
vehicles are left sterile and unadorned.
The Secret Service has agents assigned to 136 field offices and field
agencies, and the headquarters in Washington, D.C. The service's
offices are located in cities throughout the United States and the
world. The offices in Lyon and The Hague are respectively responsible
for liaison with the headquarters of Interpol and Europol, located in those cities.
On April 14, 2012, the U.S. Secret Service placed 11 agents on
administrative leave as the agency investigated allegations that the men
brought prostitutes to their hotel rooms in Cartagena, Colombia, while
on assignment to protect President Obama and that a dispute ensued with
one of the women over payment the following morning.
After the incident was publicized, the Secret Service implemented new rules for its personnel. The rules prohibit personnel from visiting "non-reputable establishments" and from consuming alcohol less than ten hours before starting work. Additionally, they restrict who is allowed in hotel rooms.
In 2015, two inebriated senior Secret Service agents drove an
official car into the White House complex and collided with a barrier.
One of the congressmen in the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that investigated that incident was Jason Chaffetz.
In September 2015, it was revealed that 18 Secret Service employees or
supervisors, including Assistant Director Ed Lowery, accessed an
unsuccessful 2003 application by Chaffetz for employment with the agency
and discussed leaking the information to the media in retaliation for
Chaffetz' investigations of agency misconduct. The confidential personal
information was later leaked to The Daily Beast. Agency Director Joe Clancy apologized to Chaffetz and said that disciplinary action would be taken against those responsible.
In March 2017, a member of Vice President Mike Pence's detail was suspended after the agent was caught visiting a prostitute at a hotel in Maryland.
In July 2022, during President Biden's trip to the Middle East, a
Secret Service agent was sent back to the United States from Israel
after assaulting a woman at a bar in Machane Yehuda.
A Secret Service spokesman said in a statement that the agency was
informed of the encounter, and the agent, who was working in Israel, was
"briefly detained and questioned by Israeli police, who released him
without charges."
On July 15, 2022, The Intercept
reported that a letter from the Department of Homeland Security
revealed the Secret Service had erased text messages from the day before
and day of the January 6 insurrection, shortly after those messages
were requested by oversight officials investigating the agency’s
response to the US Capitol riots.
The agency claimed that the messages “were erased as part of a
device-replacement program,” although the agency is bound by regulation
to preserve all records of its activity (including text messages,
emails, and other electronic communications). According to Politico on July 19, 2022, as new material becomes available to the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, "a potential second round of hearings gets slated for the fall [of 2022]".
Such related new materials may include further details regarding “the
potential unauthorized deletion” of text messages, particularly those
from around January 5 and 6, 2021, by the Secret Service, then headed by
Director James M. Murray, an appointee by then-President Trump in 2019.
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has initiated a
criminal investigation into the erasure of text messages exchanged by
Secret Service agents relating to the January 6 Capitol riot.