Cloud & Social Media Investigations

Following the Data Online

Some of the most critical evidence lives online – in social media accounts, cloud platforms, emails, and chat apps. PowellPath Group investigates these sources to uncover content, metadata, and user behavior that supports your legal case. Whether you’re dealing with a criminal investigation or complex civil litigation, we know how to obtain and interpret online data in ways that opposing counsel might miss. From Facebook pages to smart home logs, if it’s stored in the cloud, we can find the facts that matter and turn them into a compelling narrative for your case.

What We Investigate

• Social Media Accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc. – including posts, comments, photos, direct messages, friend/follower lists, and activity logs.
• Cloud Storage & Docs: Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive – files stored or shared, document revision histories, and timestamped activity logs showing who accessed what and when.
• Webmail & Online Email Services: Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook.com and enterprise email archives – complete email contents, attachments, header information (IP addresses, routing), and login history.
• Messaging and Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Skype, WhatsApp Web, Telegram – chat transcripts (including deleted messages if recoverable), channel logs, file transfers, and user metadata.
• Business & IoT Platforms: Data from enterprise software (CRM logs, project management systems) or Internet-of-Things devices linked to cloud accounts (smart speaker voice logs, fitness tracker data, vehicle telematics).

How We Get It Legally

Securing online evidence requires equal parts technical know-how and legal finesse. We guide attorneys in drafting precise subpoenas, discovery requests, and court orders to compel production of useful, admissible data. Different providers offer different data – and we know exactly what to ask for. For example, we’re familiar with the law enforcement portals and data disclosure policies of major tech companies. We use that insight to ensure your requests hit the bull’s-eye, yielding the records you actually need rather than generic or incomplete data. By understanding each platform’s data retention and format, we help you avoid fishing expeditions and get straight to the evidence. The result: you obtain cloud or social media data through proper legal channels, with a clear chain of custody and provider authentication – ready to be introduced in court with confidence.

From Raw Exports to Readable Evidence

Once data is obtained – often delivered in raw formats like JSON, CSV, XML, or proprietary archives – our team gets to work turning it into intelligible evidence. A Facebook or Twitter compliance file, for instance, might consist of thousands of lines of code-like text or spreadsheets of log entries. We use specialized forensic tools and custom scripts to parse and decode this raw data, extracting the meaningful pieces: actual messages, post content, timestamps, location tags, and more. Then we analyze and correlate the information to build a timeline or story that aligns with your case theory. Our deliverables translate technical data into clear visuals and reports, preserving all metadata. By having an expert handle this conversion from raw export to courtroom exhibit, you prevent crucial evidence from slipping through the cracks due to technical complexity.

Case Example

In a corporate trade-secrets lawsuit, an employer suspected a former engineer had taken confidential designs upon joining a competitor. PowellPath guided the attorney in subpoenaing the ex-employee’s Google Drive and Gmail accounts. Google’s response arrived as an extensive data dump. We parsed the sharing logs and revision history, discovering that the engineer had accessed and shared files labeled “proprietary” with an external personal Gmail address two days before his resignation. We also uncovered emails where he sent attachments of client lists to that personal email. This evidence, once buried in tens of thousands of log lines, was compiled into a concise report with timeline exhibits. Faced with clear proof of misappropriation, the defendant quickly moved to settle on terms favorable to our client.

Need social media or cloud data investigated?

We turn online data into actionable legal evidence. Contact us today to discuss your case and how to obtain the cloud or social media records you need. Already have a trove of digital records from discovery? Send them our way for a professional analysis. PowellPath will make sense of the online evidence – so you can leverage it to strengthen your next motion, deposition, or courtroom presentation.