March 20 2018
In recent times the use of social media such as Facebook has increased exponentially. Given that there are over an estimated 1.4 billion daily active Facebook users worldwide as of December 2017, it is of little surprise that there has been a significant increase in enquires regarding Facebook examinations for criminal cases.
Facebook can be accessed on a multitude of devices including even the most basic smartphones available in today’s market. KBC frequently examines mobile phones, tablets and computers for locally stored Facebook messages. Mobile devices and computers are isolated from the internet during examinations in order to prevent loss of data. Furthermore, deleted information can only be recovered through device examinations.
Due to the way Facebook operates, the volume of Facebook messages retained locally on devices is often limited. By comparison, examining the Facebook account directly through the internet can result in additional information being recovered; for example, the Facebook account will contain all live (non-deleted) messages exchanged between parties.
Facebook examinations can also be used to recover a variety of other information that could be critical to your case. Such data may include videos, photos and audio files exchanged between parties of interest. Also, additional account information may be retrieved including recorded logins, IP addresses of access (albeit only first and last use at a particular IP address), and descriptions of devices used for access and password changes. KBC has also reviewed Facebook Business Records, which are provided directly from Facebook via a court order, and include more specific account access details.
If you believe a Facebook examination, either on a mobile device, computer or through access to the Facebook account through the internet, could be of benefit to your case, please call Ross Donnelly, Mark Henderson or Ryan Knight at our Durham office on 0191 332 4999.
