Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Regarding the Use of Digital Data in Court?

Posted by Cliff on from the providing-an-ironclad-alibi dept.

iChuckles asks: "Is there a way to make electronic data admissible in court? Can electronic data be used as an alibi? I want to keep an electronic journal, on my work, that is date and time stamped. This journal could be used to prove I came up with an idea on a certain date based upon an entry. Is there a database, or method of recording this data, in electronic form, that will stand up in court? Is there a database that once a record is entered with an accompanying time and date stamp, cannot be altered?"

2 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Trusted Authority + Cryptography by oni · · Score: 3, Informative

    Rather than keep the entire entry at the 3rd party, you'd encrypt it with your public key and allow the 3rd party to datestamp it and cryptographically sign it.

    Then you keep the signature and datestamp yourself and the 3rd party never actually knows what the plain text was that it's just datestamped.

  2. Only when it's used against you by Webmoth · · Score: 3, Informative

    In drug or child pr0n cases, digital data is often used as evidence against the defendant(s).

    --
    Give me my freedom, and I'll take care of my own security, thank you.