Redefining eDiscovery in the Age of Smart Everything

Milton Hooper of IDiscovery Solutions reports that we need to redefine eDiscovery. People typically envision data pulled from computers, smartphones, and tablets when they think of eDiscovery. While these devices are critical, they represent only part of the digital landscape where electronic evidence now resides.

As technology becomes more embedded in daily life, data sources have expanded far beyond traditional endpoints. Modern devices, many of which are not typically considered digital storage tools, hold vast amounts of personal, behavioral, and location-based data. 

Understanding the full range of potential data points requires awareness of where information might be hiding.

Take virtual reality goggles, for example. Headsets like Oculus can store user searches and digital activities. Similarly, office copy machines may save a record of every print, scan, and copy job, making them an unexpected trove of documentation. Wearables like fitness trackers and smartwatches collect granular data on movement, health, and location, providing insight into a person’s routines. Smart TVs, meanwhile, retain search histories and viewing preferences that may appear trivial but could be crucial in certain investigations.

Other devices like Ring doorbells and in-car systems offer timestamps, GPS records, and behavioral data. Game consoles store chat logs and activity history, while digital cameras can embed GPS coordinates into images. Each of these technologies paints a fragment of a user’s digital life, forming a patchwork of evidence scattered across devices.

Relying solely on emails or texts leaves blind spots. Telling a complete story requires looking beyond the obvious and accounting for evidence housed in everyday technologies. We need to be redefining eDiscovery; without knowing what exists, it’s impossible to interpret what truly matters.