What information can an online account contain?¶
Identify the main categories of records without assuming every provider holds all of them.
Script¶
What information can an online account contain?
That depends on the service, but account records usually fall into several broad categories.
First, there may be registration information.
This could include a name, username, email address, telephone number, date of birth, postal address or the date the account was created.
Second, there may be security and recovery information.
That might include password changes, recovery email addresses, recovery telephone numbers, multi-factor authentication methods, trusted devices and security alerts.
Third, there may be access records.
These can include login dates and times, IP addresses, device or browser information, active sessions, failed login attempts and sign-out events.
Fourth, there may be payment and subscription records.
These might identify a payment method, billing address, purchase history or another account used to pay.
Finally, there is the activity produced through the service.
Depending on the platform, that might include messages, posts, uploads, searches, files, purchases, location-related records or changes to settings and permissions.
Do not assume the user can see everything the provider holds.
The information displayed in account settings may be only a small part of the provider’s records.
Also, do not assume every field is reliable.
A profile name may be chosen freely. A telephone number may have changed hands. A device label may have been entered by the user.
The useful approach is to identify the category of record, who created it and what it actually shows.
Then preserve what is available and ask the provider for the records relevant to your evidential question.
An account can contain a rich collection of information.
Its value comes from combining those records carefully, not treating any single field as automatic proof.
Key takeaway
Account records may cover registration, recovery, access, devices, payments and activity, but each field must be assessed according to how it was created and verified.
Related questions¶
- I’m interested in an online account. What can it tell me, and what should I do next?
- Does an account identify a person?
- What is the difference between an account, profile and username?