Electronic documents often contain more information than meets the eye. Metadata is data about data; embedded information that does not appear in a printed version of an electronic document. Examples of metadata includes prior revisions to word processing documents, the identity of blind copied individuals on e-mail messages, and internet usage histories. Metadata is an important element in law enforcement and litigation in the electronic age.
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Electronic data is everywhere. We create data each time we send an e-mail; swipe a credit card; or drive down the street. The following statistics demonstrate the pervasive nature of electronic data and its swift expansion in recent times:
According to a University of California study, 93% of all information generated in 1999 was generated in digital form, on computers. Only 7% of information originated in other media, such as paper. In re Bristol-Myers Squibb Securities Litigation, 205 F.R.D. 437, 440 n.2 (D.N.J. 2002).
Internet usage has grown 112% from 2000 to 2006 in North America, with approximately 69% of the population using the internet. (http://www.internetworldstats.com/ )
”75 percent of Americans use the Internet and spend an average three hours a day online.” Brad Stone, “Hi-Tech’s New Day”, Newsweek, April 11, 2005, p. 62.
For 2005, about 64 percent of new [car] models had black boxes, a figure that likely is much higher now. Toyota installs them in all of its vehicles, while GM and Ford equip nearly all their models. DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group has the technology in more than half. David Shepardson, Black Boxes Spark Uproar, The Detroit News, October 30, 2006.
