Date:21 November 2024, Author: Michaela Dubóczi, Peter Dubóczi
The Power of OSINT in the Digital Age: Boosting fact-checking & investigative journalism
Open-source intelligence has become a vital tool for gathering and verifying information in today’s digital age. With the rise of social media and widespread online activity, vast amounts of publicly available data can now be collected and analyzed.
From military and intelligence services to journalists and fact-checkers, OSINT tools play a crucial role in uncovering truths, verifying claims, and providing valuable insights into conflicts and global events.
Collecting information through open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools plays a crucial role in investigating or verifying data. The broad use of social networks and online activities has resulted in a substantial amount of legally obtainable information.
How it proved to be valuable
One of the main advantages of open-source reporting is that it relies on data collected legally. The information comes from publicly accessible sources, excluding confidential or classified ones. Data can be gathered from multiple sources and is often synthesized to form a comprehensive view. In the case of open-source information, the data typically originates from the information that is:
● Published or broadcast for a public audience (e. g. news media content);
● Available to the public by request (e. g. census data);
● Available to the public by subscription or purchase (e. g. journals and magazines);
● Could be seen or heard by any casual observer;
● Made available at a meeting open to the public (e. g. press conferences);
● Obtained by visiting any place or attending any event that is open to the public.
Since the 1980s, OSINT techniques and tools have been employed by military and intelligence services to gather critical information from open sources. Although social media wasn’t present back then, information was still drawn from traditional media and publicly available databases. Law enforcement agencies also adopted OSINT methods, allowing them to gather key data for crime investigation and national security.
Researchers and journalists using OSINT often apply advanced analytical techniques, like machine learning, to sift through vast amounts of data, complementing the analysis with manual interpretation. This process is time-consuming and demands a certain level of expertise or practice.
OSINT can be performed by anyone
Effective OSINT work requires skills in identifying reliable sources and knowledge of various data mining tools and techniques, such as searching social networks or analyzing metadata. Beyond collecting information, proper interpretation, pattern recognition, and building an active network of contacts are essential. This combination of technical, analytical, and communication skills is the core of OSINT activities.
Fact-checkers, whether professionals in fact-checking organizations or volunteers, are the most frequent users of OSINT. Portals like Bellingcat and DFRLab (Atlantic Council) are well-known within these communities. A notable example of OSINT work is Bellingcat’s investigation, which used flight data, satellite imagery, and leaked Russian database information to uncover the identity of Russian agents involved in the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
The OSINT community has also expanded on social media platforms, with many users employing OSINT techniques to verify online content. Many active profiles working with OSINT techniques can be found on X (formerly Twitter). This activity surged after the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 and the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023 and in many cases brought important information to the public attention.
It is (not only) about geolocation
Implementing OSINT tools may be related to cybersecurity, business intelligence, investigative work or fact-checking. After careful planning and goal consideration, the researcher/journalist can collect the data, which will be subsequently processed (cleaned and organized, filtered if needed) and analyzed. Crucial data can be gathered from a diverse range of sources, such as:
● Publicly accessible websites and web pages;
● Social media platforms, including social media content (posts, profile information, and discussions/comments);
● Online forums, blogs, and discussion platforms;
● News articles and press releases;
● Public records, government databases, and court documents;
● Geolocation and mapping data;
● Specialized search engines and data repositories.
In conclusion, using OSINT tools, individuals can verify geolocations, authenticate multimedia content, and monitor satellite imagery for tracking military or civilian activities. In such context, OSINT has played a significant role in public awareness of military conflicts, such as during the Arab Spring in 2010, the Crimean invasion in 2014, and the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
Today, analysts must also verify satellite images that could be manipulated or altered with artificial intelligence. OSINT tools assist in identifying fake footage, such as war videos repurposed from previous conflicts or military exercises. These tools were vital in monitoring the buildup of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border and documented the use of cluster munitions by Russian troops, which is prohibited by international law.
An example of OSINT in action was the debunking of a Russian propaganda video claiming that Ukrainian soldiers harassed a Russian-speaking woman and her child in the car. Fact-checkers used geolocation tools to prove the video was staged by stating that it took place in a completely different location. Of course, there were other discrepancies in the video as well, such as wrong insignia.
These instances illustrate the significant impact of OSINT tools when used effectively, whether to keep the public informed about conflict developments, expose war crimes, or relay critical information to military personnel and civilians.
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