Social network e giustizia penale. Nuovi scenari investigativi e probatori

The study examines the links between social network sites and criminal procedure law, with particular reference to the preliminary investigation phase (rectius, means for obtaining evidence) and the trial phase. The first part of the research begins with a brief analysis of the impact of the Internet on the legal system in general and on the criminal justice system in particular, and then examines the basic characteristics of the category under consideration: social network sites. After demonstrating that the increasingly massive use of digital tools for criminal investigation purposes plays a key role in this context, the second part of the thesis deals with the different means for obtaining evidence that make it possible to collect and analyse social network material. Finally, the last part of the study examines the procedural aspects of the use of social network evidence at the trial phase.