Tracing on Social Networks and Mobile Devices
Connecting identities and activity across platforms
Social media tracing seeks to connect profiles, posts and activity patterns with the real identity of an investigated actor, taking advantage of the fact that a person rarely keeps perfect separation between their different accounts: reused usernames, repeated profile photos, mutual connections or consistent activity hours often bridge the gap between an anonymous profile and its owner. Techniques such as reverse image analysis, review of post metadata and mapping of contact networks make it possible to build a picture of the suspect's activity across multiple platforms. In parallel, mobile device tracing relies on location records, app histories, identifiers of nearby Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices, and messaging metadata to reconstruct movements and communications relevant to the case. Both lines of tracing require special legal and ethical care, since they directly affect people's privacy, so their use must always stay within the applicable legal framework and be proportionate to the investigation.