Data Retention: HOW LONG CAN PHONE CO’s RETRIEVE CELL & TEXT MSG INFO?

Numerous threads discuss whether and how long cellphone carriers can retrieve info,
which would “place” a victim, suspect or witness (or at least, the phone) in a given location at a given time,
or show their incoming or outgoing transmissions.

For sleuthers, if one of the carriers below provides the cell service in question and
if the info on the list below would be helpful,
then check this link:
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/th...tionpolicy.pdf

Retention spreadsheet (apparently a scan of a fax of a copy, etc.) appears there
(first from a PDF, Dept of Justice).
(
Retention Periods of Major Cellular Service Providers shows retention schedules for these carriers:
Verizon,
T-Mobile,
AT&T/Cingular,
Sprint,
Nextel,
Virgin Mobile.

Retention for most of the following info are shown:
call detail records,
cell towers used by phone,
text message detail, text message content,
pictures,
IP session, IP destination,
bill copies; payment histories,
(store surveillance videos), etc.

Hope this helps.

Another article- referencing the spreadsheet ---à
WIRED Which Telecoms Store Your Data the Longest
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...customer-data/

Thanks, al66pine. This is good information. Here's a direct link to the pdf.

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/threatlevel/2011/09/retentionpolicy.pdf

I'm going to save a copy on my computer so I'll be ready the next time this subject comes up in a case.

If you have sprint or nextel, and an online account, it depends how you have it set up (such as copyies of texts never expire) IF you have them copied to your online account. You have to manually delete them if you have it set up to never expire.

Its one of the preferences available for online account holders.

btw,

sorry, i forgot to say thank you for the great link(s)....very cool

.

Actually, this link would be good to send to MEDIA in the localities of events, not LE itself. This way they can provide the on-the-scene questioning to verify that LE is actually following through on its technological forensic processes.

2Hope4 said:

Interesting! That's from 2011, wonder if anything has changed since then? FBI or CIA or whoever seems to be able to access what they want. In the arias case, there were pages of texts and they got them.
I don't know.

Anyway, this Ralphy reminds me of Randy Taylor aka RAT. I do not know why, but when I see him or hear him speak, I get chills, and RAT comes to mind. There, finally said it. :blushing:

Tania reminds me of the Mom in the Erica Parson's case. :truce:

For gosh sakes, QUIT ASKING FOR MONEY!! I'm broke, I don't have any. Leave me alone, but send me money. :gaah: Maybe you can sell that trampoline and slide. Don't think you'll need them again. :shame:

And please make sure the doggy has a good home before it's homeless. Because I've taken in enough of society's throw away pets and my inn is full. :moo:

Click to expand...

This is a little more current. Read the pdfs for detailed explanations. I'm including the links for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. Links to responses from other carriers can be found in the article.

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Cops asked wireless carriers for over 1.1 million customer cellphone records in 2012
NetworkWorld - Dec 9, 2013 2:35 PM PT

Because each mobile carrier answered in a different way, it's challenging to make a comparable chart of numbers. Yet since customers paying a wireless bill might like to know the number to see how they stack up in regards to privacy and carriers handing over data to LEA, I've tried to compare and list them.

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AT&T

Verizon

Sprint Nextel

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More links:

http://www.networkworld.com/article/...ds-in-201.html

https://www.aclu.org/cell-phone-loca...etention-chart

http://www.wired.com/2011/09/cellular-customer-data/

https://www.aclu.org/blog/technology...ging-your-data

[url]http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archive/2012/04/06/when-police-subpoena-your-facebook-information-heres-what-facebook-sends-cops.aspx [/URL]

news.talk said:

Thanks for the info!

Do you know if FB messages are able to be retrieved once deleted?

The messages I saw were FB messages. Still likely to be sent via text (as mine are) and likely accessed by mobile device since all parties were on the move that night.

Click to expand...

I don't have a definite answer to that question. Off hand, I would think that from the cellular provider's side, they would be treated as all SMS data (i.e., texts, images). Facebook, however, does retain data on its servers when profiles are removed from public view (deactivated). Even when an account is deleted, the data remains stored for a period of time. If a third party app is used to send a FB message as a text, the data might be retained on that provider's server, also.

JMO: considering the short length of time involved, I'd say there's an excellent chance LE has the ability to access the message(s).

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Deleting and deactivating your account

If you want to stop using your account, you can either deactivate or delete it.

Deactivate
Deactivating your account puts your account on hold. Other users will no longer see your timeline, but we do not delete any of your information. Deactivating an account is the same as you telling us not to delete any information because you might want to reactivate your account at some point in the future. You can deactivate your account on your account settings page.

Your friends will still see you listed in their list of friends while your account is deactivated.

Deletion
When you delete your account, it is permanently deleted from Facebook. It typically takes about one month to delete an account, but some information may remain in backup copies and logs for up to 90 days. You should only delete your account if you are sure you never want to reactivate it. You can delete your account here. Learn more.

Certain information is needed to provide you with services, so we only delete this information after you delete your account. Some of the things you do on Facebook aren't stored in your account, like posting to a group or sending someone a message (where your friend may still have a message you sent, even after you delete your account). That information remains after you delete your account.

https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/your-info

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[...]

Sharing Your Data

Facebook also claims the right to share your public information with others: “We may enable access to public information that has been shared through our services, or allow service providers to access information so they can help us provide service.” In other words, Facebook can vend your public information to others. Lock down whatever you really don’t want out there, folks.

Data Retention by Third Parties

When you sign up for an application, it requests access to your information, perhaps your email address or other datum. It can store that information if it wants, on its own servers, and keep it, even if you have deleted the application itself from Facebook.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/29/fa...ow-it-treats-your-data-and-who-can-access-it/

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Here is a legal update which references the 2010 chart on ACLU's webpage. The retention of the content of a text message is still not retained by most cell carriers.

http://news.law.fordham.edu/jcfl/20...erful-tools-wielded-by-federal-investigators/