What these platforms contain
Slack and Teams hold channel messages, direct messages, group chats, attachments, edits, reactions and membership changes. They also carry rich metadata: who was in a channel, when messages were sent, and when content was changed. All of this can be relevant to an investigation.
Because these platforms are cloud-based and continually changing, timing matters. Preserving the relevant data early reduces the risk that content is lost through retention policies or ordinary deletion.
Collecting collaboration data defensibly
Collection usually works through the platform's own export and administrative facilities, scoped to the relevant users, channels and date ranges. The aim is to capture messages, attachments, participants and timestamps together, and to record how the export was produced so it can be explained later.
As with any collection, proportionality is key: targeting the relevant custodians and time periods rather than exporting everything.
Reviewing the data
Once collected, collaboration data is processed and normalised so conversations can be reviewed in sequence with participants and timestamps preserved — often using a short-message format such as RSMF. Reviewers can then read channels in context and search across them alongside email and documents.
Key takeaways
- Slack and Teams hold messages, attachments and rich participation metadata.
- Cloud data changes constantly, so timely preservation matters.
- Defensible collection is scoped to relevant users, channels and dates.
- Processed conversational data can be reviewed in context alongside other documents.
Frequently asked questions
Can you collect from Slack and Teams without disrupting the business?
Yes. Collection generally uses administrative export facilities and can be scoped to specific users and date ranges with minimal disruption.
Is channel metadata available?
Yes. Participation, timestamps and edit information are typically available and can be important to an investigation.
How is the data reviewed?
It is processed into a conversational format and reviewed in a platform alongside other document types.
Discuss your matter in confidence
Speak to an eDiscovery specialist about forensic collection, processing and review support for your case.
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