Adrian Weckler: How tech can be crucial in finding victim or a suspect

Gardaí can use phone and car technology to track your movements. Picture: Kyran O'Brien

Adrian Weckler

As we know from multiple high-profile investigations such as the Graham Dwyer trial, it is now common for authorities to piece together locations of interest based on having possession of a suspect's (or a victim's) phone.

But other everyday pieces of technology are also helping. Many new cars now come with enhanced navigation systems that have extra features by using a built-in sim card which connects to ordinary mobile networks.

Some even come with emergency buttons that can call a breakdown service. This leads to a lot more data being trackable on a car.

Popular gadgets such as step-counting bracelets and Fitbits can also add to the sum of evidence, especially those that are used in conjunction with online mapping services.

It all adds up to technology building up deeper, more accurate profiles of where a person is or has been, what he or she is doing and other salient information.

There are ways to find a missing person using their smartphone.

If a family member knows the person's Google or Apple login details (username and password), they can get an immediate location on the person's phone.

For an Android device this is done by visiting android.com/find and typing in the credentials. For an iPhone, it's a similar process when visiting icloud.com/find.

The technology industry often talks about how "the internet of things" is changing society. When tracking someone's whereabouts, it seems to be working.