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When a criminal offence occurs, the perpetrator must be identified based on the traces left behind in order to proceed with prosecution. For online criminality, the IP address often serves as a clue to the connection or system from which a particular illegal act was committed.
In the context of the proposed legislation regarding the introduction of a limited data retention obligation for telecommunications data for investigation and prosecution purposes, Dialogic, commissioned by the WODC, has examined how the identification of individual users based on a public IP address can be technically achieved. The research delved into various relevant societal considerations such as usability for investigation and prosecution, citizen privacy, and costs for internet providers. Lessons from an international comparison are drawn for the Dutch situation. Various policy options are developed based on the research findings.
Want to learn more? Download the report from the WODC.