Legal and forensic aspects of seizure of electronic information in criminal proceedings

Relevance. The digitalization of various spheres of activity has led to an increase in crime, which served as a basis for studying the forensic understanding of electronic information. In modern realities, electronic evidence is actively developing. Criminologically significant data contained in social networks, messengers, on internet sites, electronic media are widely used for solving and investigating crimes. The seizure of an electronic medium and copying electronic information is an important tool for establishing circumstances of criminal cases.

The purpose of the study is to analyze legal and forensic aspects of regulating the seizure of electronic information within the framework of criminal proceedings.

Research objectives include examining norms of criminal procedural legislation concerning the seizure of electronic information in judicial practice, as well as studying court practice in this context.

Methodology. The results of the research were obtained using such methods as historical, comparative, legal analysis and synthesis, contributing to achieving the goal of the study and solving planned tasks.

Results. Examines problematic aspects of legal regulation regarding the seizure of electronic media and its copies. Current legislation, court practice, and scientists' positions on seizing electronic media and copying information from them have been analyzed. Special attention is paid to the participation of specialists during the seizure of criminally relevant electronic information. The authors offer their own vision of these issues, promoting legal regulation of obtaining electronic information.

Conclusion. During the study, criminal procedural legislation, scientific literature, and court practice related to the legal and forensic aspects of the seizure of information in the digital space was conducted, allowing systematization of existing knowledge in this area and determining further prospects for collecting evidential electronic information.

1. Balashova A.A. Some issues related to collecting evidentiary information on electronic media. In: Razvitie nauchnykh idei professora R.S. Belkina v usloviyakh sovremennykh vyzovov (k 100-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya): sbornik nauchnykh statei po materialam Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii “63-i kriminalisticheskie chteniya” = Development of scientific ideas of professor R.S. Belkin in modern challenges (to the 100th Anniversary of His Birth): collection of scientific articles based on materials of International scientific-practical conference “63rd Forensic Readings” Vol. 2. Moscow: Akad. upravleniya MVD Rossii, 2022. P. 498-504. (In Russ.)

2. Bushnaya N.V., Kudinov V.V. Rhetoric of legislator regarding seizure of electronic data carriers and copying of information therefrom during investigative actions. In: Begishev I.R., Gromova E.A., Zaloilo M.V., Filipova I.A., Shutova A.A. (eds.) Tsifrovye tekhnologii i pravo: sbornik nauchnykh trudov I Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii = Digital technologies and law: collection of scientific papers of the First International scientific-practical conference. Vol. 2. Kazan: Poznanie; 2022. P. 39-46. (In Russ.).

3. Varakin Ya.G. Forensic technologies for detection, fixation, seizure of digital crime traces and other evidence. Vestnik Surgutskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta = Surgut State University Journal. 2021;(4):81-87. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.34822/2312-3783-2021-81-87.

4. Vasjukov V.F., Titov A.A. Procedural and tactical problems of seizing electronic media and copying information when investigating crimes using cryptocurrency. Rossijskij sledovatel' = The Russian investigator. 2023;(2):23-27. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18572/1812-3783-2023-2-23-27.

5. Kolichenko A.A. Electronic data carriers as source of obtaining electronic evidence in criminal process. Vestnik Kazanskogo yuridicheskogo instituta MVD Rossii = Bulletin of the Kazan Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2022;13(1):114-121. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.37973/KUI.2022.69.32.016.

6. Romanova G.V. Problems of using electronic evidence in criminal proceedings. In: Begishev I.R., Gromova E.A., Zaloilo M.V., Filipova I.A., Shutova A.A. (eds.) Tsifrovye tekhnologii i pravo: sbornik nauchnykh trudov I Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii = Digital technologies and law: collection of scientific papers of the First International scientific-practical conference. Vol. 2. Kazan: Poznanie; 2022. p. 194-197. (In Russ.).

7. Rosinskaja E.R., Saakov T.A. Problems of collecting digital traces of crimes from social networks and messengers. Kriminalistika: vchera, segodnja, zavtra = Criminology: yesterday, today, tomorrow. 2020;(3):106-123. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24411/2587-9820-2.

8. Bagmet A.M., Bychkov V.V., Skobelin S.Yu., Il'in N.N. Digital traces of crimes. Moscow: Prospekt; 2021. 168 p. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31085/9785392328680-2021-168.

9. Vehov V.B., Zuev S.V. (eds.) Digital forensics. Moscow: Yurayt; 2021. 417 p. (In Russ.)

10. Rossinskaya E.R. (ed.) Theory of information and computer support of forensic activities. Moscow: Prospect; 2022. 256 p. (In Russ.)

11. Solovkin S.V. Digital traces in the era of cyberphysical systems: reconceptualization of notion and new significance for data protection. In: Begishev I.R., Gromova E.A., Zaloilo M.V., Filipova I.A., Shutova A.A. (eds.) Tsifrovye tekhnologii i pravo: sbornik nauchnykh trudov I Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii = Digital technologies and law: collection of scientific works of the First International scientific-practical conference. Vol. 1. Kazan: Poznanie; 2022. P. 452-459. (In Russ.).

12. Logvinets E.A., Katorgina N.P. On essence and nature of digital traces in forensic science. In: Gavrilin Yu.V. (ed.) Gosudarstvennaya nauchno-tekhnicheskaya politika v sfere kriminalisticheskogo obespecheniya pravookhranitel'noi deyatel'nosti: sbornik nauchnykh statei po materialam Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii “64-e ezhegodnye kriminalisticheskie chteniya” = State scientific and technical policy in the field of forensic support of law enforcement activities: collection of scientific articles based on the materials of the international scientific and practical conference "64th Annual Forensic Readings". Pt. 1. Moscow: Akad. upravleniya MVD Rossii; 2023. P. 267-275. (In Russ.)

13. Logvinets E.A., Katorgina N.P. On classification of digital traces in forensics. Vestnik kriminalistiki = Bulletin of Criminalistics. 2023;(1):64-77. (In Russ.)

14. Gavrilin Yu.V., Pobedkin A.V. Gathering Evidence in the form of information stored on electronic media in Russian criminal proceedings: Need for improvement of procedural forms. Trudy Akademii upravlenija MVD Rossii = Proceedings of the Academy of management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2018;(3):106-114. (In Russ.)

15. Pershin A.N. Examination of network information resources ‒ a new type of investigation activity? Rossijskij sledovatel' = The Russian investigator. 2020;(1):13-16. (In Russ.)

16. Sysenko A.R., Gerasimenko N.I. Features of inspection of information stored on internet resources. Zakon i pravo = Law and law. 2022;(7):214-217. (In Russ.)

17. Zuiev S.V., Cherkasov V.S. New rules for seizing electronic media and copying information (Article 164.1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation): Advantages and disadvantages. Sibirskoe juridicheskoe obozrenie = Siberian Legal Review. 2019;16(2):193-197. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19073/2658-7602-2019-16-2-193-197