Setting the global standards for e-discovery, the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) is pleased to announce Version 1.0 of the Primer for Text Message Metadata Project.
EDRM develops and promotes thought leadership, frameworks and best practices in e-discovery, with its engaged global community comprised of knowledgeable, multidisciplinary professionals. EDRM contributors continue to enhance e-discovery, privacy, security and information governance frameworks, processes and standards.
The lack of normalization for reviewing chat data is becoming more urgent as the “smoking gun” of a case may not only be found in email, an Office document, or PDF – it may also be found in SMS, Teams, Slack or similar chat data sources. The Text Messaging Metadata Primer is the first step in standardizing eDiscovery workflows for data found on mobile devices and in cloud-based communication applications.
Monica Harris, Product Business Manager, Cellebrite Enterprise Solutions and Project Trustee
A frequent eDiscovery pain point is the absence of education regarding metadata that is available for text message data that can be found on phones. Today’s newly created hybrid workforce, a by-product of the pandemic, generates a considerable number of communications and many of those communications happen via text message. The lack of text message metadata education can be costly as awareness of text message metadata is key to understanding elements of a text message conversation. The project will tackle educating legal, litigation technology and corporate investigative professionals on the metadata that is available for text message data found on phones.
“In eDiscovery, the amount of chat data found in review has increased exponentially due to the remote and now often hybrid nature of work that was introduced by the pandemic. While eDiscovery has standardization for the review of documents, those same protocols do not easily lend themselves to the review of chat data that can be found on mobile devices and in cloud-based communication applications,” said Monica Harris, Product Business Manager, Cellebrite Enterprise Solutions and Project Trustee. “The lack of normalization for reviewing chat data is becoming more urgent as the “smoking gun” of a case may not only be found in email, an Office document, or PDF – it may also be found in SMS, Teams, Slack or similar chat data sources. The Text Messaging Metadata Primer is the first step in standardizing eDiscovery workflows for data found on mobile devices and in cloud-based communication applications.”
The following people and organizations participating in the project are: Monica Harris, Cellebrite Enterprise Solutions; David A. Greetham, PCForensics; Nikolai Pozdniakov, Hashtag Legal; Craig Ball, Craig D. Ball, PC; Martha Louks, McDermott, Will & Emery; Frank Perrone, Betsy MorganandHannah Caywood, Relativity; Bilyan Belchev and Brent Dockter from Reveal Data; and Matt Mahon, Trustpoint One.
The project is seeking new contributors. Please email info@EDRM.net for an invitation to the project team virtual meeting.
“Five to ten years ago, eDiscovery was mostly about ‘what’s in the email?’ said David R. Cohen, partner at Reed Smith and chair of the EDRM Project Trustees. “With the rise of other modes of communication, those are increasingly a focus of the search for evidence, so the Metadata Primer this team is creating will be an extremely valuable resource for the eDiscovery community.”
“Text messages are how people communicate today,” said Mary Mack, EDRM CEO and chief legal technologist. “These messages are requested more and more often to better understand a case.”
The EDRM community, comprised of 33% corporations, 30% law firms and 23% software and service providers, 12% governments with the remaining 2% being a mix of educators, students, judges and media in 136 countries spanning six continents.
About the Text Message Metadata Primer Project
Kicking off in summer 2022, the Text Message Metadata Primer Project will tackle educating legal, litigation technology and corporate investigative professionals on the metadata that is available for text message data found on phones. The project deliverables are anticipated to include a primer of how text message data is stored on a phone. The project will also list out metadata that is available for the text message data found on phones, including definitions for each metadata field and field groupings such as recipient, sender, location and more. The project team will also draft recommendations for baseline requests. Contact info@edrm.net for an invitation to the project team meeting.
About EDRM
Empowering the global leaders of e-discovery, the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) creates practical resources to improve e-discovery, privacy, security and information governance. Since 2005, EDRM has delivered leadership, standards, tools, guides and more to improve best practices throughout the world. EDRM has an international presence in 136 countries and growing and an innovative support infrastructure for individuals, law firms, corporations and government organizations seeking to improve the practice and provision of data and legal discovery. Learn more about the EDRM today at EDRM.net.
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Read the release on the wire here.
