To obtain a suspect's IP address, what must police do?

• A. Get a warrant and then request it from the Internet Service Provider
• B. Access it directly without any authorization
• C. Guess the IP address from public records
• D. Use social media to locate the user

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that an IP address is tied to a specific subscriber and is controlled by the Internet Service Provider. ISPs keep logs that show which customer was using a given IP at a certain time. Because this involves private information about a person, police generally must obtain a warrant based on probable cause and then formally request the ISP to produce the logs. Accessing the IP address directly without authorization would violate privacy laws, and you can’t reliably “guess” someone’s IP from public records since IPs aren’t publicly linked to individuals. Social media won’t reveal the exact IP address just from posts or profiles unless the platform provides that data as part of a legal disclosure. There are exceptions in emergencies, but the standard, proper route is a warrant and a request to the ISP.