Social Media Monitoring and Crowdsourced Investigations

Social Media Monitoring and Crowdsourced Investigations

Tracking public narratives, identifying key events, and mobilizing collective intelligence.

Overview

Social media platforms are a rich source of real-time information and public sentiment. Monitoring these platforms allows activists, journalists, and researchers to:

• Identify breaking events or misinformation
• Verify claims through cross-referenced content
• Spot emerging trends or shifts in narrative
• Collaboratively investigate incidents through crowdsourced analysis

Crowdsourced investigations, popularized by some high-profile organizations, involve public participation in analyzing photos, videos, and data. However, these methods can also be weaponized by state-aligned or corporate-funded groups to target marginalized communities. Users must critically assess who is conducting an investigation and for what purpose.

How It Works

• Monitoring tools scan social platforms (Twitter/X, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, Mastodon, etc.) for relevant content based on keywords, hashtags, geotags, or users.
• Crowdsourced investigations involve volunteers reviewing public media, geolocating footage, verifying timelines, or analyzing patterns.
• Investigations are typically documented in shared workspaces (e.g., forums, spreadsheets, Discord, GitHub wikis).

Tools and Techniques

• TweetDeck / Twitter Advanced Search: Real-time monitoring and filtering
• CrowdTangle / Reddit Search / Pushshift: Track content and engagement trends
• InVID / WeVerify: Analyze and verify social videos (timestamps, reverse image search, metadata)
• YouTube DataViewer: Extract thumbnails and timestamps for verification
• OSINT Dojo Tools / Open-Source Intelligence Toolkits: Curated lists of monitoring and investigation resources
• Google Sheets / Airtable / Notion: Collaborative documentation tools

Use Cases in Activism

• Track online mentions of a protest or political campaign
• Collect and verify videos of police violence or misconduct
• Monitor coordinated disinformation or smear campaigns
• Identify eyewitness accounts of breaking events
• Build a collaborative timeline of unfolding incidents

Best Practices

• Create keyword and hashtag lists in advance
• Use advanced search operators for accuracy
• Archive key posts using screenshots or tools like archive.ph
• Tag, sort, and cite sources clearly in collaborative spaces

Ethical and Legal Considerations

• Only analyze public content — do not scrape or share from private accounts
• Avoid doxxing or publishing personally identifiable information (PII)
• Credit original sources and respect digital consent
• Be cautious about misinformation or manipulated content — always verify before sharing
• Critically examine the intentions of the groups or platforms involved in crowdsourced analysis. Avoid contributing to campaigns that may lead to unjust targeting or surveillance of oppressed communities.

Limitations

• Content can be deleted, manipulated, or intentionally misleading
• Platforms may restrict access or remove critical features (e.g., Twitter API)
• Crowdsourced efforts require coordination and moderation
• Risk of harassment or legal retaliation if improperly handled

Related Topics

• Geospatial OSINT Satellites Maps Photos
• Open Source Intelligence and Public Data Extraction
• Notification Aggregators and Dashboards

Resources and Further Reading

• https://osintdojo.com – Toolkits and training for open-source intelligence
• https://emergencyjournalism.net – Media verification guides
• Tactical Tech's "Data and Activism" series

Critical Note on OSINT Organizations

Some widely known OSINT platforms, such as Bellingcat, have been criticized for their affiliations with intelligence-linked entities and for publishing investigations that align with dominant geopolitical narratives. Activists should approach such sources with skepticism, especially when the targets of investigations are vulnerable communities or politically marginalized groups. Always ask: who benefits from this information, and who could be harmed?

Legal Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only. Respect platform terms of use, user privacy, and local laws when conducting social media monitoring or contributing to investigations. Use public intelligence for transparency and accountability, not for harassment or surveillance.