Can e-mails that have been permanently deleted be traced and reopened at any time by any authorities?

Question

Im trying to get a hold of emails that were sent a year ago that ended up getting deleted and I was wondering if that was even possible.

Answer 1

Yes and no. If you ever saved the email into your personal computer, yes. If you only kept it in files through your internet server, no.

If you did save the email through your personal computer, when you deleted them did you do a simple click and delete or did you use a program that over writes it so much that you can't get it back. A nuke program or shredder program? If so, than the anwer is still no. But if it was a simple delete that the computer offers, the answer is then yes.

You can go on to cnet.com and search for a program to look for old deleted things. But chances are you didn't save them to your computer. Just getting emails in your in box and such does not save them into your computer.

good luck.  

Answer 2

Don't know about a year ago.

Some ISP's have specific rules on how long information is stored on mail servers before it is deleted.

Whether this is down to the huge amount of storage space that would be used or due to the Data Protection Act I'm not sure but you could always ask them.

Would probably say not though.