Leveraging information posted to social media platforms is an essential part of an investigators toolbox when uncovering wrongdoings. At investigative platform, Exposing the Invisible, we recently released a series of resources on finding, collecting and using information from social media platforms.
Exposing the Invisible has been operating for the past three years with the aim to explore and investigate the data traces that are being left behind by those in positions of power suspected of wrongdoings. This approach to finding and leveraging publicly available information is mirrored by the wider organisation, Tactical Tech, who works with activists or interested individuals to minimise their digital shadow and provides practical advice for tools and tactics to increase their digital and physical security. The organisation takes various approaches to this work including producing guides, resources, documentaries, exhibitions, trainings, interactive art spaces. Through publishing all content under creative commons we have some of our resources translated into 16 languages and promote non-commercial tools over their commercial, closed source equivalent.
These resources on social media are not only an essential resource to expose wrongdoings but also to highlight the ease with which individuals can be exposed, something we address in each resource. Exposing the Invisible not only sets out to demonstrate how these techniques work against, for example, corrupt officials, but also how the same techniques are used against activists and campaigners themselves.
