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Methods
Repeatable ways of checking, comparing and reasoning about open-source evidence.
Methods · 12 October 2026 · 5 min read
Same handle, different person: the trouble with username matches
Username search tools tell you a page exists, not who owns it. Here is how to weigh handle matches, spot false positives and false negatives, and avoid naming the wrong person.
usernamesidentity resolutionfalse positivesverificationMethods · 12 October 2026 · 6 min read
Where was this taken? Start with what cannot move
How to work out where a photo was taken: collect clues, rank them by how permanent they are, test candidate places against every clue, and say how sure you are.
geolocationverificationmapsshadowsMethods · 11 October 2026 · 5 min read
A photo's metadata is a witness, not a verdict
What hidden file data can tell an investigator, what it cannot, and the habit that keeps you honest: test it, then corroborate it.
metadataexifverificationgeolocation