Traffic data (metadata)
Definition
Data about a communication rather than its content: who communicated with whom, when, for how long, and from what IP address or cell tower. Courts in multiple jurisdictions have progressively extended privacy protections to metadata as its analytical power has become clearer from bulk-collection disclosures.
Related terms
- CLOUD Act
- The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (US, 2018). Clarifies that US service providers must comply with valid US legal process...
- Lawful interception
- Court-authorised real-time capture of the content of communications in transit, such as telephone calls, emails, or instant messages. Requires a higher legal...
- Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT)
- A bilateral or multilateral treaty under which signatory states agree to assist each other in gathering evidence for criminal investigations. MLATs define...
- Production order
- A court order compelling a person or service provider to produce specific documents or data that already exist. Covers subscriber records, account...
- Subscriber data
- The registration information a service provider holds about an account holder: name, address, email address, phone number, payment details, and account creation...
Explained in
- Lawful Access, Interception Law and Privacy ProtectionsData about a communication rather than its content: who communicated with whom, when, for how long, and from what IP address or cell tower. Courts in multiple...