When accused of certain crimes, the police may want to read social media messages. This can be a form of evidence in a potential trial.
For instance, perhaps it’s a white-collar crime like embezzlement, and you have been accused of a conspiracy with another employee to defraud the company. Or perhaps you have been accused of transporting illegal drugs across state lines. Either way, the police believe you have been using social media to make plans and carry out these crimes.
1. Searching your phone
One way that the police can get access to these messages may be simply by searching your phone or other electronic devices. The key thing to remember here is that they either need your consent or a search warrant. They can’t force you to show them the messages, even if you’ve already been arrested. If they do, then they may not be able to use them as evidence in the case.
2. Contacting the company
But another thing to remember is that your phone is not the only place where your social media messages are stored, even if that’s the device you used to send and receive them. Those messages are also on servers, and the servers are owned by the tech company you were using. For instance, some believe that there may be a growing trend of law enforcement agents serving warrants to companies like Facebook and then getting the messages from the tech companies, rather than from the users.
This type of digital evidence can certainly complicate a criminal case, and it’s crucial to understand all of your legal defense options.