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Can I prove a person owns an iPhone?

Fzang

Fzang

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 15, 2013
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Need legal advice...ish here. Say I want to prove a person owns a smartphone. I only have their phone number though. If I text that phone number the message turns blue, however. A clear sign that the person owns an iPhone, no? Would this "hold in court"?
 
Couldn't that also mean they own an iPad or Mac with iMessage turned on? Doesn't have to be an iPhone, AFAIK.
 
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A person being in possession of an Apple device using iMessage is not necessarily the same thing as said person being the legal owner of the Apple device, that has care, custody, and control of the device at all times.

You need a lot more than a person's phone number.
 
Fzang said:
Need legal advice...ish here. Say I want to prove a person owns a smartphone. I only have their phone number though. If I text that phone number the message turns blue, however. A clear sign that the person owns an iPhone, no? Would this "hold in court"?
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As other posters have stated they could be using iMessage on an iPad or Mac. Of course if you actually need legal advice go to a lawyer. That said I have a hard time thinking of a case where you would have to prove that a person owns an iPhone in court.
 
mrkramer said:
As other posters have stated they could be using iMessage on an iPad or Mac. Of course if you actually need legal advice go to a lawyer. That said I have a hard time thinking of a case where you would have to prove that a person owns an iPhone in court.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the OP doesn't want to divulge any info, but I'd also like to hear the details.
 
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Apple knows this... They just don't tell u they know...

How do u send a iMessage if they don't know the number your sending it to.. It goes via their through their servers, and the phone number must be un-encrypted. Therefore, they know. If u keep a backup of iMessages, easily done with software on client side. then there u have the proof if u know the number or account it belongs to.
 
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Tech198 said:
Apple knows this... They just don't tell u they know...

How do u send a iMessage if they don't know the number your sending it to.. It goes via their through their servers, and the phone number must be un-encrypted. Therefore, they know. If u keep a backup of iMessages, easily done with software on client side. then there u have the proof if u know the number or account it belongs to.
Click to expand...

imessage doesnt need a phone number.
 
Fzang said:
A clear sign that the person owns an iPhone, no? Would this "hold in court"?
Click to expand...
Why not subpoena the individual and get a deposition where you can ask them under oath if they have one?

There's no way AFAIK, that seeing a blue icon on Messages will hold up in court.
 
If you use the phone number, and you don't have any email addresses on their contact page, then yes, it would be an iPhone. I'm pretty sure you can't link iMessage on an iPad or Mac to a phone which isn't an iPhone. Don't know what everybody else is talking about.
 
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