Mobile device discovery has created new challenges for legal and eDiscovery professionals and one of the primary challenges is how to discover and review text messages.  Here’s a two-part blog series from Avansic that discusses the different methods used to show text message conversations in eDiscovery review, whether they are forensically sound, and how to create an accurate visual display to show text message conversations.

The two-part series is titled How to Properly Display Text Messages for eDiscovery Review and it covers a lot of ground, as follows:

Part 1: Discusses why text messages aren’t like email when it comes to reviewing them, the challenges associated with data storage and extraction and review challenges.  Avansic even illustrates a screenshot example of an extraction report from Cellebrite to show how conversations can be created from the forensic data that Cellebrite extracts.

Part 2: Discusses why screenshots are not the answer, the importance of context (which was an issue in this case) and the importance of forensic authentication when court disputes arise regarding the substance and timelines for conversations.

The ubiquity of mobile devices today and the use of them for text conversations make this a terrific and important topic that eDiscovery professionals need to understand, so check it out!

Speaking of Avansic, if you missed our webinar last week (Apples to Oranges: How to Avoid Getting Stuck with a “Lemon” with Pricing for Your eDiscovery Solution), you can watch it on demand here!  Dr. Gavin Manes, Lance Watson and I had a terrific discussion of various pricing models that currently exist in the market, what types of cases benefit from each model, how trends in the industry driving growth in alternative pricing plans, questions to ask your eDiscovery provider and recommendations for selecting a pricing plan!

So, do you know how to properly display text messages for eDiscovery review while also preserving the ability to authenticate them if needed?  If not, click on the links to check out the two-part series above!  And please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclosure: Avansic is an Educational Partner and sponsor of eDiscovery Today

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the authors and speakers themselves, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.