SIRIUS EU Digital Evidence Situation Report

Online services are a cornerstone of everyday life for the majority of European Union (EU) citizens.

Digital platforms also play a significant part in criminal activities and, therefore, it is not surprising that electronic datasets very often become crucial investigative leads. As a consequence, many criminal investigations in the EU quickly acquire an international dimension as soon as authorities need to make cross-border requests for data disclosure to Online Service Providers (OSPs) established in different countries.

While policy developments to modernise applicable legal instruments are ongoing, authorities still rely on long judicial procedures or on the voluntary cooperation of OSPs to access such data. In this context, this report looks back at the situation of the use of digital data in criminal investigations in 2021, presenting comprehensive perspectives of international stakeholders.

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Selected by Virginie GASTINE MENOU