Court Takes a Careful View on the Reliability of Google Timeline Evidence in the Kim Yong Case

As controversy continues over the court's decision to reject Google Timeline evidence in the case of former Democratic Research Institute deputy director Kim Yong, analysis has found that the use of the record as evidence has generally been cautious in other cases as well. The Chosun Ilbo reported that, after reviewing 16 civil, criminal, and administrative rulings this year, the court tended to recognize Google Timeline as corroborative evidence only when it aligned with other objective materials such as call records, card transaction records, CCTV, and HiPass records, rather than viewing it as standalone evidence. According to the article, the court strictly examined its probative value because Google Timeline estimates and records a phone's location, leaving room for error, and because it can be modified or deleted afterward. In the Kim Yong case as well, the bench determined that the timeline records did not match other objective materials in several respects, and that there was also a lack of key materials needed to verify the integrity of the records.