Recovering and interpreting emoji in evidential casework

The excellent Netflix show Adolescence has not only raised interesting questions about parenting responsibilities in relation to technology and misogyny in teenage boys, it also touches upon a really interesting area of digital forensics.

Without providing any plot spoilers, the topic of how specific emoji are interpreted crops up and the investigation team get a quick lesson in how something as subtle the colour of an emoji can convey a specific meaning. That meaning can easily be overlooked if:
– the emoji aren’t captured and presented accurately in reports
– the reviewer of said reports doesn’t recognise the significance of a particular emoji, its colour etc.

We’re undertaking a short online survey to collate feedback on current processes relating to emoji capture, reporting and interpretation. We will then share back with the digital forensics community.

If it’s an area you’re interested or have experience in, we hope you’ll take time to complete the short survey (or share it with colleagues who may have relevant experience).