Global Positioning System (aka, GPS) data is increasingly prevalent. In fact, if you were to review the settings on your cell phone, you might be surprised at just how many apps request and record this information. Why, some of them even track your location whether you are using the app or not. Fortunately, most of this can be adjusted in your settings. However, this prevalence also means that GPS location evidence is increasingly available in both civil and criminal proceedings.
How is GPS and Location Evidence Used in Court?
The first thing many of us think about in terms of GPS evidence is to prove or disprove an alibi in a criminal trial. However, not only can GPS data show someone’s location at specific points in time, but location data can reveal movement patterns over months or years. Thus, there are many other ways the GPS evidence may be applicable in civil cases as well. For example, consider the following:
- Where did the other parent typically take the kids during their parenting time?
- How often and at what hours did the alleged stalker drive by your client’s house or place of work?
- Was your director really visiting clients, or visiting prostitutes at nearby hotels?
- Was the defendant anywhere near the bank branch on the days of alleged deposits in an embezzlement scheme?
Explore Our Smartphone Evidence Packages
Where You Might Find GPS Location Evidence
As mentioned above, many apps are attempting to track your location data. For example, whenever you take a photo, GPS coordinates are captured by default. Many health, news, maps, and entertainment apps are also interested in this information. Presumably, it is for marketing and reselling purposes. However, it just might help you win or settle your case.
Here are a few examples of the many apps looking to track your location data:
- Camera
- Chrome
- Co-Rider
- Compass
- Cyclemeter
- DeviceLocator
- Dictation
- Dragon Go!
- Flashlight
- GasBuddy
- Google Maps
- Groupon
- Happy Cow
- JotNot Pro
- MapMyRide
- Maps
- miCal
- MotionX
- MyAT&T Bus
- Passport
- QRReader
- Runmeter
- Safari
- ShopSavvy
- Siri & Dictation
- Speedtest
- The Weather
- Uber
- Walkmeter
- Waze
- Weather
- Yelp
Using Digital Forensics to Collect & Preserve GPS Data
We have worked with GPS data for years now, and we have access to some of the latest technology, so we can effectively extract data from various devices with ease. Frequently our forensics experts recover all existing and even previously deleted data. Additionally, we work with almost any type of smartphone or GPS device, no matter its condition.
Remote Services to Collect Your GPS Evidence
We handle the data extraction remotely. This means you, your client, or witness does not have to ship their phone. Instead, we ship you our BlackBox and conduct the forensics examination remotely. Then, you return the BlackBox to us using our pre-paid shipping label and box.
Evidence Reports for Easy Legal Review
Once complete, we provide you with an Evidence Report containing all the electronic evidence. We give you links to source files, Bates stamped exhibits, and of course, all related metadata.
Flat Fee Services
All our digital forensic services are provided on a flat-fee basis. Thus, you know your cost up front. We won’t charge for phone calls, emails, or other communications.