Your Social Media Activity Can and WILL Be Used Against You in Court

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat, and so on. There are numerous social media platforms to choose from. But just because you set your preferences to “private” doesn’t mean your social media is truly protected and hidden from others. Anything you choose to put on the internet is documented forever, and out there for the public to see. And people are now starting to realize this as prosecutors are using social media activity against defendants more and more. And they are doing this within their legal means. Continue reading to learn how social media can be used against you in court.

Social Media is Evidence

Criminal Defense Attorney 317-636-7514

Criminal Defense Attorney 317-636-7514

The government, social services, law enforcement, and of course, the court system, can legally use a person’s social media activity as evidence in a court of law or for other case proceedings. These agencies can easily prove that incriminating statements found on your social media pages came from your device and were posted by you by using certain identifying information. This includes your unique IP address, IP history, and Meta Data. This provides dates, times, locations, email addresses, connected accounts, cloud information, and more.

For instance, if you posted an image of you vandalizing school property on Instagram, and later arrested as a suspect for the crime, prosecution CAN and WILL use those pictures as evidence that you are guilty. And the evidence will be admissible in court.

In another example, if a person posts a statement bragging about beating someone up, their post can be used against them to prove that they are guilty of assault. On the other hand, if you were arrested as a suspect for a crime, but your social media places you in a different city or state at the time that the crime took place, you could be dropped as a suspect.

Social Media Advice

Be careful what you post online, especially if you are involved in any type of legal battle. The information you think is private is not private to everyone. And even if you delete posts, they still exist in IP history (which you cannot access and permanently delete either) for quite some time. If you are facing criminal charges, it is best to avoid social media use altogether. Law enforcement does need a warrant to investigate a defendant’s social media, but these are easy for them to acquire, and they will do it. This applies to court cases for child custody, divorce, and much more. Social media is so widely-used by people of all ages, it is a huge source of evidence in many types of court cases.

Criminal Defense in Indiana

Criminal Defense Lawyer Indianapolis Indiana

Criminal Defense Lawyer 317-636-7514

Call David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law, at 317-636-7514 if you were recently arrested for a crime, and now facing criminal charges in Indiana. He is an aggressive and experienced criminal defense lawyer that will stop at nothing to protect your rights and preserve your freedoms. He offers free initial consultations, so get in touch today! Let him build a strong and impactful defense on your behalf, and guide you in the direction of your best interests. Call 317-636-7514 to get started right away.