THE IMPORTANCE OF METADATA FOR PROVING THE AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY OF DIGITAL EVIDENCE

Abstract

In the digital age, the production of evidence in administrative or judicial proceedings now includes a wide range of electronic records, from emails, social media posts, geolocation, and instant messages to data from human resource management systems. Proving electronically recorded facts requires knowledge of certain technical terms, enabling legal professionals to produce and analyze digital evidence, observing its validity requirements, to ensure its authenticity and integrity, from its collection, storage, and presentation in the electronic judicial process until its final judgment, ensuring that it is not tampered with and contributes to the enforcement of the law. The objective of this article is to demonstrate how to use technology to analyze the authenticity and integrity of contested digital evidence, thereby streamlining and asserting the provision of legal protection to guarantee human rights. This article was prepared using research on scientific articles, books, and course and lecture materials. Metadata analysis is essential for verifying the authenticity and integrity of digital evidence, lending it greater reliability.