Documenting Digital Harassment
How to record online abuse safely.
Screenshotting and Metadata: What They Are and How They Can Help
What is a Screenshot?
A screenshot is an image that captures what is on your screen at a particular moment. It can record:
- Texts, emails, and social media messages
- Call logs or missed calls
- Location-sharing screens or tracking apps
- Banking or financial control evidence
- Online harassment, threats, or abusive posts
Screenshots can be useful if an abusive person later deletes messages, changes their story, or denies what happened.
Basic Tips for Safer Screenshotting
You may want to consider the following points before saving screenshots:
- Think about who can see the device and whether it is shared.
- Notice if screenshots appear in a shared photo stream or cloud account.
- Decide whether to store copies somewhere separate from your main device.
- Check if notifications appear in the screenshot that might reveal other private information.
What Is Metadata?
Metadata is “data about data.” It is information attached to a file or record that describes details such as:
- When something was created or modified (date and time)
- Where it was created (sometimes location/GPS)
- What device or app was used (phone model, software)
- File details (size, format, version)
Metadata can exist for many types of digital evidence, including:
- Photos and screenshots
- Videos and audio recordings
- Documents and PDFs
- Emails, chat logs, and call histories
How Metadata Can Be Helpful as Evidence
In some situations, metadata can strengthen your account of what happened because it may show:
- The specific date and time a message, photo, or call took place
- Whether a file has been edited or altered
- Rough location (for some photos or apps that store GPS information)
- Which account, device, or app was used
This can matter if:
- The abusive person claims messages are fake or edited
- There is a dispute about the time or place of an incident
- You are asked to show a pattern of behaviour over time
If you ever speak with a lawyer, advocate, or support worker, they may look at both the visible content (the screenshot or file) and the metadata behind it.
Limits of Screenshots as Evidence
Screenshots can be useful, but they also have limits:
- They can be edited or faked, so some professionals may ask to see original messages too.
- Some apps (for example, certain encrypted messengers) may not show full details in a screenshot.
- Phone screenshots usually do not include full technical metadata on their own.
- Court rules about what evidence is allowed can vary by place and situation.
Because of these limits, people sometimes keep both:
- Screenshots (quick visual record)
- Original files, chats, or exports (for deeper verification and metadata)
Ways Metadata Might Be Accessed
Depending on your device and apps, metadata may be visible in different ways, such as:
- “Details” or “Info” view on a photo or screenshot
- “Properties” of a file on a computer
- Downloadable records from phone bills, social media, or messaging apps
- Technical reports prepared by specialists
In legal or formal processes, police or digital-forensics experts sometimes extract metadata directly from a device or cloud account. This is usually more detailed than what you can see on the screen.
Privacy and Safety Considerations
Metadata can reveal more than you intend, including:
- Location data embedded in photos or videos
- Device information that links multiple files together
- Dates and times that show where you were or who you contacted
You may want to think about:
- Whether sharing raw files could reveal your current location or routine.
- Whether the abusive person has access to shared cloud accounts or backups.
- What you are comfortable sharing and with whom.
Organising Your Screenshots and Metadata
If it feels safe for you, some people find it helpful to:
- Label screenshots with simple, neutral names (for example, “2025-03-14-text-argument”).
- Group related screenshots in folders by month or topic.
- Keep a brief written log noting dates, times, and what happened.
- Store copies on a device or drive the abusive person cannot access, if possible.
Try not to over-collect if it feels overwhelming. Even a few well-dated examples can show a pattern.
Questions You Might Ask a Professional
If you speak with a lawyer, advocate, or other professional, you might want to ask:
- What types of screenshots or files are most helpful in your situation?
- Whether they prefer original messages, exported chat logs, or images.
- How they handle metadata and protect your privacy.
- How to share files with them in a secure way.
They can explain how screenshots and metadata are usually treated in your local system, and what that might mean for you.