15. A system for using metadata to detect alteration of audio data, image data, or both, the system comprising: a metadata recording device capable of recording a first set of metadata characteristics for a first set of data representing original data, the first set of metadata characteristics including at least one respective semantic description for the first set of data; the metadata recording device capable of recording a second set of metadata characteristics for a second set of data representing data under test, the second set of metadata characteristics including at least one corresponding semantic description for the second set of data; and a comparing mechanism, operatively coupled to the metadata recording device, for comparing the first and second sets of metadata characteristics wherein, if the first and second sets of metadata characteristics are not identical, then the second set of data is identified as an altered version of the first set of data; wherein the comparing mechanism identifies the second set of data as an altered version of the first set of data and processes the first and second sets of metadata characteristics to identify one or more of: at least one location in the first set of data that have been altered, or at least one metadata characteristic that has changed from the first set of data to the second set of data using the at least one semantic description for the first set of data and the at least one corresponding semantic description for the second set of data; and wherein the comparing mechanism further identifies at least one metadata characteristic that has changed from the first set of data to the second set of data using the at least one semantic description for the first set of data and the at least one corresponding semantic description for the second set of data, defines a change of semantic meaning between the first set of data and the second set of data using the identified at least one metadata characteristic to determine whether or not the defined change of semantic meaning changes an overall meaning of a message defined by the first set of data and generates an alert indicative of a possible criminal intent in altering the message defined by the first set of data if the defined change of semantic meaning changes an overall meaning of a message defined by the first set of data.
15. A system for using metadata to detect alteration of audio data, image data, or both, the system comprising: a metadata recording device capable of recording a first set of metadata characteristics for a first set of data representing original data, the first set of metadata characteristics including at least one respective semantic description for the first set of data; the metadata recording device capable of recording a second set of metadata characteristics for a second set of data representing data under test, the second set of metadata characteristics including at least one corresponding semantic description for the second set of data; and a comparing mechanism, operatively coupled to the metadata recording device, for comparing the first and second sets of metadata characteristics wherein, if the first and second sets of metadata characteristics are not identical, then the second set of data is identified as an altered version of the first set of data; wherein the comparing mechanism identifies the second set of data as an altered version of the first set of data and processes the first and second sets of metadata characteristics to identify one or more of: at least one location in the first set of data that have been altered, or at least one metadata characteristic that has changed from the first set of data to the second set of data using the at least one semantic description for the first set of data and the at least one corresponding semantic description for the second set of data; and wherein the comparing mechanism further identifies at least one metadata characteristic that has changed from the first set of data to the second set of data using the at least one semantic description for the first set of data and the at least one corresponding semantic description for the second set of data, defines a change of semantic meaning between the first set of data and the second set of data using the identified at least one metadata characteristic to determine whether or not the defined change of semantic meaning changes an overall meaning of a message defined by the first set of data and generates an alert indicative of a possible criminal intent in altering the message defined by the first set of data if the defined change of semantic meaning changes an overall meaning of a message defined by the first set of data. 20. The system of claim 15 further comprising a labeling mechanism operatively coupled to the metadata recording device for labeling the first set of data with a label indicative of whether or not the first set of metadata was recorded using image recognition.