Risky calls: Understanding the challenges and risks of using mobile phone data during homicide investigations

Despite concerns having been voiced internationally about the validity and reliability of mobile phone evidence, there remain large gaps in our understanding of how police acquire and process mobile phone data, and the risks associated with this work. This paper fills some of these gaps by drawing upon qualitative data gathered during an ethnographic study of the role of forensic sciences and technologies in British homicide investigations. Specifically, we draw upon case papers, interviews, and observations to illuminate, from the perspective of police and prosecution actors, some of the opportunities, tensions, and risks encountered in accessing and processing mobile phone data during these inquiries. Our findings reveal several risks associated with current practice alongside broader complexities related to legislation, privatisation, and accreditation. We consider how these intertwined risks and challenges may undermine the reliability of mobile phone evidence and jeopardise criminal justice.