Bias and fairness in software and automation tools in digital forensics

The proliferation of software tools and automated techniques in digital forensics has brought about some controversies regarding bias and fairness. Different biases exist and have been proven in some civil and criminal cases. In our research, we analyze and discuss these biases present in software tools and automation systems used by law enforcement organizations and in court proceedings. Furthermore, we present real-life cases and scenarios where some of these biases have determined or influenced these cases. We were also able to provide recommendations for reducing bias in software tools, which we hope will be the foundation for a framework that reduces or eliminates bias from software tools used in digital forensics. In conclusion, we anticipate that this research can help increase validation in digital forensics software tools and ensure users' trust in the tools and automation techniques.