Smartphone users have been cautioned by a US criminal judge that erasing conversations, social media posts, and other data from their phones does not guarantee that the data is lost forever.

In a video, Dallas County, Texas criminal judge Judge Kelly warned viewers about the criminal justice system and what people should know before getting involved in a criminal case.

The judge took inspiration from her 13.5 years of experience as a prosecutor, where she handled criminal cases, including those involving child abuse.

In her opening remarks, Judge Kelly questioned the notion that erasing data from a phone automatically results in its permanent disappearance.

“Did y’all know that everything on your cell phone is forever ever on your cell phone?” she asked.

She went on to expressly caution consumers against erasing data from their devices.

“Did you know that if you delete something from your cell phone, it’s not really deleted?” she said.

The judge stated that even when a user deletes digital material, it may occasionally still be accessible through different records, backups, or other sources.

Judge Kelly reflected on her years as a prosecutor, stating that she had come across circumstances in which digital recordings could be helpful evidence in criminal investigations.

“I used to be a prosecutor for 13 and a half years and I prosecuted child abusers,” she said.

She claimed investigators could potentially obtain a wide range of digital information, including records and communications that users believed they had erased.

“And when I tell you I could pull anything, I don’t care how long ago it was, I could pull your records, your text messages, your social media posts that you deleted,” she stated.

The judge also mentioned deleted messages and direct messages on social media platforms.

“I can get your messages that you deleted out of your deleted box. I can get your DMs, I can get it all,” she said.

She stressed that people should not assume that deleting content from their phones or social media accounts automatically prevents it from being recovered or obtained during an investigation.

“It doesn’t go away,” she added.

Judge Kelly ended her message with a warning to anyone who believes using a mobile phone to document criminal activity and subsequently deleting the evidence will protect them.

“So if you’re committing crimes on your phone, it doesn’t go away,” she said.