The Permavault blog
Guides on capturing web evidence, permanent archiving, and proving what a page said.
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- Are Screenshots Admissible in Court?
Often yes, when nobody contests them. The trouble starts when someone does. What courts have actually done with screenshot evidence, why it fails, and what to capture instead.
- Chain of Custody for Digital Evidence
Chain of custody was designed for physical evidence. What it means for web captures, where screenshots break it, how hashes repair it, and a checklist that holds up.
- How to Preserve Social Media Evidence
Posts get deleted fast and phone screenshots get excluded. How lawyers and investigators preserve Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok evidence that survives challenge.
- Web Archiving for Evidence and Citation
Courts have admitted Wayback Machine captures, but only with an affidavit and only when a snapshot exists. Where the public archive fits, where it does not, and what a capture you control has to prove.
- What Is Self-Authenticating Evidence?
Evidence that needs no extrinsic proof of authenticity. What FRE 902 covers, all fourteen categories, how the certification route works, and the three things it does not do.
All posts
FRE 902(13) vs 902(14): What's the Difference? (Plain-English Guide)
Both rules make electronic evidence self-authenticating by written certification. What each one covers, how they differ, and how to use them together.
July 12, 2026How to Preserve Instagram Posts as Evidence (2026 Guide)
Stories vanish in 24 hours, captions can be edited, and Meta will not answer your civil subpoena. How to preserve Instagram posts before they disappear.
July 12, 2026How to Preserve TikTok Posts as Evidence (2026 Guide)
TikTok removed 184 million videos in one quarter, and content data generally needs a court order. How to preserve TikTok posts before they vanish.
July 12, 2026How to Preserve X (Twitter) Posts as Evidence (2026 Guide)
Nearly one in five tweets vanishes within months, and X posts can now be edited. How to preserve X posts as evidence that survives challenge.
July 12, 2026How to Verify a WACZ Web Archive Independently (Step-by-Step)
A WACZ capture carries its own proof: file hashes, a manifest, and a signature. How to check all of it with free tools and no vendor account.
July 12, 2026Permanent Citations for Academic Papers: Fixing Reference Rot (2026 Guide)
One in five research articles suffers reference rot, and most web sources have no DOI. How to cite web content so it stays checkable for decades.
July 12, 2026Screenshot Metadata: What Opposing Counsel Looks For (2026)
A fabricated iPhone screenshot ended a federal case and cost six figures. What metadata reveals, what screenshots lack, and how to capture better.
July 12, 2026Web Archiving for Journalists When News Sites Block the Wayback Machine (2026)
More than 340 local news sites now limit the Internet Archive. How journalists preserve the sources they control, before pages change or vanish.
July 12, 2026What Happens to Your Evidence When the Capture Vendor Shuts Down?
Vendors die more often than you think. What Akord, Storify, and MySpace teach about evidence survival, and what the incumbents' contracts actually say.
July 12, 2026How to Authenticate a Website Screenshot in Court (FRE 902 Guide, 2026)
Why plain screenshots get excluded, what FRE 902(13) and 902(14) actually require, and a practical checklist for capturing web evidence you can defend.
July 11, 2026Page Vault Alternatives for Solo Lawyers (2026 Comparison)
Page Vault starts at $199 per outsourced capture behind a quote form. Here are the real alternatives for solo and small-firm lawyers, compared honestly.
July 11, 2026