How Internet Crime Investigations Happen on Online Platforms

Most internet crime investigations today begin on a platform: a social network, a messaging app, a file-sharing network, an AI tool, or a cloud account. These are widely used tools that billions of people rely on to stay in touch, work, learn, run businesses, and serve the public, and the vast majority of people use them legitimately. Each platform collects different information, reports to authorities in different ways, and responds to legal process under its own policies. Knowing how a particular platform works can help explain how an investigation started and what evidence may exist. This section profiles major platforms one at a time.

These pages are written for people who want to understand the process. They are general information, not legal advice, and every case depends on its own facts and on current law where the case is brought.

How Platform Investigations Commonly Begin

Online providers based in the United States are required by federal law to report apparent child sexual abuse material they become aware of to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which operates the CyberTipline. In 2025, NCMEC received about 21.3 million CyberTipline reports, almost all of them from electronic service providers. Just over 300 companies submitted reports, and five companies accounted for more than 75% of them. NCMEC said it made more than 18.8 million reports available to law enforcement, and that more than 10% of reports from the tech industry did not contain enough information for NCMEC to determine where the offense occurred.

Other investigations begin with undercover officers who pose as minors or join groups, with officers monitoring peer-to-peer networks, with reports from victims, parents, or schools, or with evidence found on a phone or computer seized in a separate matter. Once investigators have a lead, they typically use subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to obtain records from the platform and from internet and wireless providers, and they send preservation requests asking companies to keep existing records. The firm explains the next steps in what a CyberTipline report is and how police connect online accounts to a person.

Social Media

Social media platforms connect billions of people, and because of their scale, social media companies submit the largest share of CyberTipline reports. The firm’s Social Media crimes page covers social media evidence and charges more broadly.

• Facebook: Meta’s flagship social network for friends, family, groups, and businesses.
• Instagram: Photo, video, and messaging app used by friends, creators, and businesses.
• Snapchat: Disappearing messages, but records such as Memories and logs can remain.
• X (Twitter): Formerly Twitter; now in the same corporate family as xAI and Grok.
• TikTok: Short-video app with a large audience and new U.S. ownership.
• Discord: Community servers, DMs, and voice chat.
• Reddit: Discussion communities on nearly every topic.

Messaging Apps

Messaging apps range from fully encrypted services that keep almost nothing to apps that store chats on their servers. What a company can see shapes how investigations begin.

• WhatsApp: End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls used by billions.
• Telegram: Cloud-based messaging and channels; privacy policy updated in 2024.
• Signal: Privacy-focused messaging that keeps very little data.
• Kik: Username-based messaging without a phone number.

Peer-to-Peer Networks

File-sharing networks are usually investigated by officers who connect to the network themselves. See also P2P investigations.

• BitTorrent: Widely used protocol for sharing large files.
• Gnutella, eMule, and Ares: Older search-based file-sharing networks.
• Freenet (Hyphanet): Censorship-resistant publishing network (now Hyphanet).

AI Platforms

AI assistants are a fast-growing category of everyday tools and a newer source of reports and evidence. See also the firm’s AI Crimes page.

• ChatGPT: The most widely used AI chatbot; prompts and uploads as evidence.
• Claude: Anthropic’s assistant; a 2026 ruling on AI chats and privilege.
• Grok: xAI’s AI assistant, built into X.
• Google Gemini: Google’s assistant, tied to the Google Account.
• Meta AI: The assistant inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.

Cloud Storage and Email

Cloud storage and email providers often scan uploads for known abuse material, and an email address is often what ties other accounts together.

• Dropbox: File sync and shared links.
• Google Drive and Google Photos: Automatic backup and hash scanning.
• Gmail: The email address that ties accounts together.
• iCloud: Apple’s cloud, with optional end-to-end encryption.
• Microsoft OneDrive and Outlook: Microsoft account storage and email; home of PhotoDNA.

Related Articles on InternetCrime.com

• Social Media Crimes and Digital Evidence
• AI Crimes
• Child Pornography Defense
• Internet Crime Investigation FAQ
• Police Seized My Computer: What Now?
• Account Suspended for a Terms of Service Violation
• Payment App Records as Evidence

If You Are Under Investigation Involving an Online Platform

If police have contacted you, if a search warrant has been served, or if you believe an investigation involving an online platform account may be underway, it is important to get legal advice before taking any action on your own. Attorney Ron Frey generally advises speaking with an attorney before answering questions or agreeing to a search. Whether a person may be required to provide a password or unlock a device depends on the circumstances, the jurisdiction, and any search warrant or court order involved, so that decision should be made with an attorney’s advice (see should I provide my password to the police or FBI?).

You have the right to remain silent. Anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Laws change and vary from state to state and between state and federal court, and the way they apply depends on the specific facts. Please don’t rely on the internet or on AI tools to evaluate your situation. Every case is different, and contacting an attorney is a priority to get tailored advice.

Attorney Ron Frey of The Frey Law Firm, LLC has been practicing law for over two decades and represents people nationally in internet and computer crime investigations and charges. He is a conference speaker and published author.

Attorney Ron Frey Is Available for a Free Initial Confidential Consultation: Call or Text (844) 766-3739. In Florida, call (813) 775-2276. You can also reach the firm through the contact page.

References

• NCMEC, “2025 CyberTipline Reports by Electronic Service Providers (ESP)”
• NCMEC, CyberTipline Data
• U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, press release on CyberTipline reporting by technology companies (2026)

Important: This page provides general information only. It is not legal advice, and it is not a complete or current statement of the law or of any company’s policies. Laws, court decisions, and platform practices change, and their effect depends on the facts of each case and on how courts interpret them. User figures and report counts come from the sources listed and may since have changed. Platform names and logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the services discussed; The Frey Law Firm, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of these companies. Please don’t rely on this page, or on any other information online, to make decisions about your situation. Talk with a lawyer. Reading this page or contacting The Frey Law Firm, LLC does not create an attorney-client relationship. Last reviewed: October 26, 2026.