Mobile devices have become central to nearly every investigation and litigation matter. From text messages and chat applications to shared media and attachments, smartphones hold vast amounts of potentially relevant data—but also overwhelming volumes of personal, privileged, and irrelevant information.
For years, the industry’s default approach to mobile data collection was total device imaging. That meant collecting everything: personal photos, private messages, and unrelated data—all to ensure nothing “relevant” was missed. While defensible in theory, this practice often resulted in ballooning review volumes, unnecessary cost, and serious privacy risks.
The shift toward targeted extraction changes that equation entirely.
Precision Over Volume
Targeted extraction focuses only on the information that actually matters—specific conversations, timeframes, or data types that align with the scope of discovery. Instead of imaging an entire device, modern tools like ModeOne’s patented remote collection platform allow for real-time, selective capture of case-relevant data directly from custodians’ phones, without physical access or disruption.
The benefits are significant:
- Reduced Cost and Time: By collecting only what’s necessary, review volumes shrink dramatically, cutting time and expenses.
- Enhanced Privacy: Custodians no longer need to surrender their devices, and non-relevant personal data remains untouched.
- Greater Cooperation: A transparent, minimally invasive process builds trust and speeds compliance.
Defensibility and Proportionality
Courts and regulators are increasingly emphasizing proportionality in discovery—requiring that data collection be reasonable and limited in scope. Targeted extraction aligns with this principle, ensuring data requests are both compliant and efficient.
ModeOne’s technology was built with this in mind. Our automated, remote collection process preserves metadata integrity, generates secure audit trails, and ensures defensibility.
A Smarter Path Forward
As mobile data volumes continue to grow, so does the need for smarter, privacy-conscious methods of collection. Targeted extraction represents more than a technical improvement—it’s a necessary evolution in how legal teams meet their discovery obligations.
By embracing precision, proportionality, and privacy, ModeOne is helping the industry move beyond outdated methods—and toward a future where discovery is faster, fairer, and more defensible than ever.