Under the new criminal laws electronic messages can be used as evidence in court.
Like social media posts and other forms of digital communication, text messages can be used as evidence in court and can be instrumental in the outcome of both criminal and civil cases. [...] Text messages can be used to prove wrongdoing or support a defense position in a wide variety of court cases, ranging from family law matters like divorce and child custody to personal injury lawsuits to criminal trials. [...] In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, concerns are on the rise about the potential use of text messages, location data, and other digital information to punish people who discuss or search for information about access to abortion services. In the past, text messages have been used as evidence on a number of occasions against women facing criminal charges related to the end of their pregnancies.