The Biggest Investigation in U.S. History: The January 6, 2021, Capitol Riot

The Biggest Investigation in U.S. History: The January 6, 2021, Capitol Riot

This IDC Perspective discusses the question of striking the right balance between public safety and civil liberties in light of investigations made into the Capitol riots. Cascading failures in intelligence, leadership, and preparedness meant that the rioters who breached the Capitol simply exited the building and returned to their homes — in all 50 U.S. states. As a result, it has taken a large-scale, nationwide concerted effort to analyze the unprecedented volumes of digital evidence to identify and arrest the rioters.The United States Department of Justice has called the investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot "[o]ne of the largest in American history both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the volume of evidence."According to Alison Brooks, research vice president, Worldwide Public Safety at IDC, "It is also likely one of the most complex investigations in U.S. history given the variety of digital evidence propagated by technological advances in social media, mobile communications, location-based apps and services, and digital platforms."

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