Online Evidence of Misconduct - Accompanied by Visuals
In the digital age, taking screenshots of online content has become a common practice. However, it's essential to ensure that these screenshots are legally secure and can be used as evidence if necessary. Here are some guidelines to help you capture screenshots that are authentic, contextually rich, and legally compliant.
Ensuring Authenticity and Context
When capturing screenshots, it's crucial to include sufficient contextual information. This means the screenshot should clearly show the date and time, the full visible conversation or content thread, and identification of participants or sources (usernames, URLs, etc.). This helps courts or other parties verify the content and its provenance if needed. Avoid cropping out information that might cause misunderstanding or misrepresentation.
Respecting Legal Compliance and Copyright
Before sharing screenshots of protected content publicly, it's essential to obtain permission. Unauthorized reproduction may infringe copyrights or privacy rights. Use screenshots for personal record-keeping or permitted use only, and avoid posting sensitive or copyrighted images without authorization. Consult legal advice if unsure.
Protecting Sensitive Information
Before sharing or storing screenshots, it's crucial to blur or crop sensitive info like passwords, payment data, and private information. Store screenshots securely in encrypted local folders rather than public or cloud storage.
Taking Screenshots
Smartphones
On most smartphones, you can take a screenshot by simultaneously pressing the volume buttons and the on/off or home button. Use built-in screenshot editor tools to crop or blur sensitive info.
PCs and Laptops
On PCs and laptops with Windows, press "Windows key + Print" to take a screenshot. On macOS, use "Command + Shift + 3" to create an image of the entire screen.
Using Specialised Tools
Extensions like Atomshot for Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers can help capture full-page web screenshots with annotation and timestamping features for enhanced legal reliability. The Wayback Machine is a web archiving service that captures snapshots of web pages at specific times, providing a time-stamped archive that can support authenticity claims if cited properly.
In summary, for screenshots to be legally secure, they must be authentic, include full context and identifying info, respect copyright and privacy laws, and you should document when and where the content was captured (via timestamps or archive tools). Always review local laws and consider legal consultation if using screenshots for formal evidence or public sharing.
If you encounter allegedly punishable online content, it's important to immediately contact the police instead of taking screenshots. If all the information cannot fit in one image, it can be distributed across multiple screenshots. Remember, taking, possessing, or distributing screenshots of child or youth pornographic content is punishable.
Affected individuals can contact counseling services like HateAid for advice on hate and incitement on the internet. If a report needs to be made to the police regarding a suspected crime, it can be done either in person at the station or digitally with an online report. The Stiftung Warentest provides guidelines for making legally secure screenshots of online content.
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