Evidence collection and forensics on social networks: Research challenges and directions

Abstract

Social Media (SM) evidence is a new and rapidly emerging frontier in digital forensics. The trail of digital information on social media, if explored correctly, can offer remarkable support in criminal investigations. However, exploring social media for potential evidence and presenting these proofs in court is not a straightforward task. Social media evidence must be collected by a legally and scientifically appropriate forensic process and also coincide with the privacy rights of individuals. Following the legal process is a challenging task for legal practitioners and investigators due to the highly dynamic and heterogeneous nature of social media. Forensic investigators can conduct effective investigations and collect legally sound evidence efficiently if they are provided with sophisticated tools to manage the diversity and size of social media content. This article explains the current state of evidence acquisition, admissibility, and jurisdiction in social media forensics. It also describes the immediate challenges for the collection, analysis, presentation, and validation of social media evidence in legal proceedings. Furthermore, the research gaps in the domain and few research objectives with potential research directions are presented.