Account attribution
Definition
The process of linking a pseudonymous or anonymous online account to a real-world identity. Methods include IP log analysis, device fingerprinting, cross-platform username correlation, metadata analysis of uploaded images, and platform-disclosed registration data.
Related terms
- Forensic capture
- Tool-based documentation of online content that records the URL, timestamp, and page hash alongside the visible content. Preferred over manual screenshots in...
- MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty)
- A bilateral or multilateral treaty framework through which countries agree to provide legal cooperation in criminal investigations, including compelling disclosure of evidence...
- OSINT (open-source intelligence)
- Intelligence gathered from publicly available sources without special legal authority. In social media investigation, OSINT covers all content visible to any user:...
- Preservation request
- A formal letter sent to a platform asking it to freeze and retain specified account data pending formal legal process. Under 18...
- Stored Communications Act (SCA)
- Part of the US Electronic Communications Privacy Act (18 U.S.C. 2701-2712) that governs government access to stored electronic communications and data. It...
Explained in
- Online Account and Social Media InvestigationThe process of linking a pseudonymous or anonymous online account to a real-world identity. Methods include IP log analysis, device fingerprinting, cross-platf...