The popular phrase “location, location, location” no longer applies just to real estate, it also applies to mobile device evidence too. As this article from Forensic Discovery discusses, cell phone location data is one of the best sources of evidence in criminal cases today and it can be tracked even if you attempt to turn off tracking. It also has numerous potential applications in civil cases as well.

Their article “Location, Location, Location” Isn’t Just About Real Estate, It’s Also About Mobile Device Evidence discusses how today’s “smart” iPhone and Android devices with cell service essentially include their own Global Positioning System (GPS) system for tracking locations, which is very accurate. It can identify your location to a specific address (or very close to it) and it can be vital to locate a person’s phone if they are lost or their phone is stolen. It can also be useful to 911 operators to identify the location of a call in an emergency, which saves countless lives every year.

People looking to avoid location detection (such as a thief who steals your phone or a teenager looking to avoid detection) can turn off Location Services in an iPhone or Android device. However, one of the biggest misconceptions about cell phone location tracking is that doing so makes the device untraceable.

So, what are four ways to track a phone without location services? And what are some examples of how cell phone location can apply to civil cases as well? Check out their article here to find out! “Location, location, location” isn’t just a concept that applies to real estate property values; it’s also a concept that applies to mobile device evidence in criminal AND civil litigation cases today.

So, what do you think? Have you ever had a case where cell phone location data was important? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclosure: Forensic Discovery is an Educational Partner and sponsor of eDiscovery Today

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, 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.