Definition
OSINT (open-source intelligence) is the use of publicly available material — satellite imagery, social media, ship and flight tracking, sanctions lists, court records, corporate filings, news reporting — to build a verifiable picture of an event. The defining feature is that the reasoning chain is reproducible by anyone with the same inputs.
Why this matters when reading conflict news
Most credible verification of wartime claims today comes from OSINT, not from governments. Understanding the methodology lets you tell strong OSINT from theatre.
Common misunderstandings
- OSINT is not hacking. It uses material that is already public.
- A geolocated photo is not proof of a wider claim — it is proof of one location.
- Anonymous OSINT accounts are not equivalent to named investigators with a track record.