Today, divorce and infidelity investigations increasingly center around digital forensics, involving data gathered from wearable devices and smartphone applications such as Fit-bit, Find My Friends and Find my iPhone. According to one survey, one in six consumers said they currently use wearable tech in their daily lives, and it is estimated that there will be 100 million wearable gadgets by the year 2020.

Digital stalkers take advantage of the fact that those being tracked often have no idea that they are being monitored, or that they can disable location services. Data gathered from devices and apps – heart rates, locations, text messages and e-mails – can not only be submitted as evidence, it can used to secure additional evidence. For example, if a husband sees that his wife was at a particular unknown address with some regularity, he could use that information to dispatch a private investigator to survey the premises. Even an otherwise unsuspecting spouse could come across incriminating information, as in the case where a husband accidentally uploaded the sexually explicit photos he was exchanging, to the his family’s shared iCloud, which was ultimately seen by his wife. Regardless of which side of the coin you may fall, it is in your best interest to get familiar with the privacy settings on your devices.

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