Web-forensics use case
Acquire evidence from online advertising accounts
Eviquire can document authorized advertising-account content presented through a browser, including account and campaign structure, advertisements and creatives, targeting settings, publication and review status, delivery metrics, billing context, change history and generated reports. It preserves the platform presentation at acquisition time; it does not independently prove who viewed an advertisement, why an algorithm delivered it, or the completeness of provider backend data.
What this use case means
Eviquire can document authorized advertising-account content presented through a browser, including account and campaign structure, advertisements and creatives, targeting settings, publication and review status, delivery metrics, billing context, change history and generated reports. It preserves the platform presentation at acquisition time; it does not independently prove who viewed an advertisement, why an algorithm delivered it, or the completeness of provider backend data.
Advertising portals personalize dashboards, aggregate metrics, apply account timezone and attribution settings, and update delivery continuously. Creatives can exist in multiple variants while automated systems change status or optimization. Evidence must connect the displayed advertisement to its account, campaign, ad group, targeting, time range, filters, creative and export settings.
Common situations
When this workflow is useful
- Misleading advertising, brand, regulatory, political, discrimination, contract or billing disputes
- Preserving a campaign before edits, suspension or account closure
- Documenting targeting, creative variants and review decisions available to an authorized account
Recommended process
A documented acquisition workflow
- Define account and period
Identify account, campaigns, advertisements, creatives, audiences, geography, dates, metrics and confidential exclusions.
- Record reporting configuration
Preserve account role, currency, timezone, attribution model, filters, columns and date range.
- Acquire campaign hierarchy
Navigate account to campaign, group and advertisement; document settings, creative, targeting, status, review and change views.
- Preserve reports and creatives
Download authorized reports and original creative files where offered, recording format and filter configuration.
- Verify and contextualize
Hash files, record dynamic metrics and distinguish platform estimates, delivered results and independent publication observations.
Technical guidance
Conditions that affect advertising evidence
Confirm these points during a short pre-acquisition validation on the authorized workstation.
Metrics and attribution
Delivery, reach, impressions and conversions depend on definitions, lag, filters and attribution windows.
- Capture definitions and settings.
- Record acquisition time.
- Do not compare differently configured reports as equivalent.
Creative variants and status
Dynamic creative, automated testing and policy review can produce multiple versions and changing status.
- Identify the selected variant.
- Preserve review and change history where visible.
- Capture public placement separately when relevant.
Sensitive audience data
Targeting, customer lists, payment and business data can be highly sensitive.
- Collect proportionately.
- Avoid exposing audience identifiers.
- Restrict and redact review copies.
Reviewable output
What the evidence package should explain
Account configuration
Role, currency, timezone, attribution, filters and reporting period.
Campaign record
Hierarchy, targeting, creative, status, review and visible change history.
Reports and media
Authorized exports and creative files with configuration and hashes.
Review package
Session video, timestamps, limitations and custody records.
The exact artifacts depend on the source, plan, configuration, authority, and investigation. A report should identify what was and was not collected.
Professional considerations
Authority, proportionality, and limitations
- Respect advertising, privacy, election, employment and discrimination rules applicable to the matter.
- Separate platform-reported metrics from independent proof that a particular person saw or acted on an advertisement.
- Preserve settings before authorized changes and document later remediation separately.
Important: Eviquire supports a documented technical process. It does not establish identity, truth, culpability, infringement, or admissibility, and it does not replace legal advice or a validated organizational procedure.
Standards and primary guidance
Online evidence procedures should be validated for the organization and matter. Useful starting points include SWGDE guidance for acquiring online content, ISO/IEC 27037:2012, and NIST digital-evidence resources.
Frequently asked questions
Can Eviquire prove who saw an advertisement?
No. It preserves account presentation; individual exposure may require provider records or other evidence.
Should filters be recorded?
Yes. Date, attribution, geography and column settings materially affect reports.
Can creatives be downloaded?
When the portal permits it, preserve supplied originals separately.
Do dashboard metrics stay constant?
Not always; reporting lag and attribution can change them.
Can public ads be compared with account settings?
Yes as separate acquisitions, with their different contexts clearly recorded.
Who uses this workflow?
Relevant professional roles
This acquisition workflow is commonly relevant to these teams. The appropriate authority, scope, procedure, and review requirements still depend on the matter.
Copyright and trademark professionals
Preserve listings, branding, seller context, media, and related pathways before takedown.
See role-specific guidance →
Forensic experts
Acquire online evidence with technical context, integrity verification, custody records, and reporting.
See role-specific guidance →
Law firms
Preserve websites and online content for litigation, disclosure, legal holds, and expert review.
See role-specific guidance →In-house legal teams
Preserve early evidence for disputes, compliance, legal holds, and outside-counsel review.
See role-specific guidance →